Breaking Point
by Iolar
Summary: When things go drastically wrong for the Rangers, Tommy leads them to the wizarding world & the life he left behind, the family that didn't want him. Warning - Character Death
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own either Power Rangers or Harry Potter nor do I make any profit from these words.

BREAKING POINT

Chapter 1

Severus Snape stalked through the Great Hall, stopping for a moment at the Gryffindor table to remove points from the Weasley Twins over one of their pranks, insult Harry Potter and remove points for the way he was eating, then made his way to the staff table.

As he sat, Minerva McGonagall commented, "Really, Severus, there was no reason for that."

"I have no desire to hear why your Golden Boy should be above …" His words were cut short as a flash of Green light appeared before the head table, right in front of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, depositing a young boy in torn and bloodied green clothing.

The boy brushed his long dark hair back from his face and met Dumbledore's eyes unflinchingly. "Sir, I … my team needs a place to … heal. By the laws of Yyshan, I request the use and help of Hogwarts."

Dumbledore didn't respond immediately as he was deep in thought. Severus demanded in the silence, "And who are you, boy, to call upon us as such?"

The boy turned to him and met his gaze with a cold and hard look. "It's been awhile, Uncle Severus, but I wouldn't have thought it _that_ long," he responded almost flippantly.

"Thomas?" he questioned, shocked.

"Don't worry, Severus, I didn't come to see or speak to you. If anything, your presence here is part of the reason I turned down the offer to attend classes here." With that, he turned back to the Headmaster.

Dumbledore finally spoke. "And how do you know of the laws of Yyshan, young Thomas?" He paused, then answered his own question. "You are -- what they call a paladin of the Grid."

He nodded, almost a bow, elegant even in his torn and bloodied state. "That's one of the terms. -- Tommy Oliver, Green Dragon Thunder Ranger of the Power Rangers of Earth," he introduced himself. "And my Pink Beauty is currently dying, so if you could speak your answer."

"Yes, young Thomas, your Ranger team is welcome here. And you are welcome to attend classes, still."

Tommy didn't respond to this, but lifted his wrist and spoke into his communicator. "Teleport to my location," he commanded. Almost before he finished speaking, four lights flashed, of Black, Yellow, Blue, and Pink, depositing two boys and one girl kneeling beside a second girl laying on the ground between them.

Madam Poppy Pomfrey, the medi-witch, immediately moved forward to help her but was stopped by the defensive look of the other three at her side. The girl in yellow had a dagger free in her hand -- she couldn't tell if the boys were armed but they all looked battle-worn.

"Let her," Tommy said to his teammates, a quietly spoken command. "She's a healer."

The three stood and moved to Tommy's side, letting Madam Pomfrey whisk their teammate away. Silence filled the whole Great Hall. The students were wondering about this Tommy Oliver who called Professor Snape his uncle, yet stated that his presence was the reason he wasn't studying with them.

Trini, the Yellow Ranger, broke the silence, turning to Tommy. "What now? How do we get Jason back and what do we do about the Command Centre and Zordon and Alpha? And, well, how did you know this place to come to?" All three Rangers were looking to him imploringly for leadership.

Tommy met the gazes for a long moment, then stepped back and motioned to Dumbledore. "Headmaster Dumbledore signed an intergalactic magical aid treaty, the Yyshan Wiondropa, when he first became headmaster of this school."

"Yyshan Wiondropa," Billy repeated to himself, thoughtfully. "If I'm correct, that would be a dialect of Tefonia."

"Tefonia High. Trey's father led the summit."

"Then he should be able to contact the Tefonian Empire!" Billy, Trini, and Zack exclaimed as one.

Tommy nodded again, that almost bow. "Whatever else the others answer, Trey'll help us, which brings their Rangers and a large part of their military, as he's the Crown Prince."

"You don't think Prince Rand will help?" Trini quietly asked. She always had a crush on the younger of the princes.

Tommy placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, knowing well her thoughts on the subject. "Rand's a good man, but young, cher. He'd help us, but he does fear Zedd. After the last time … It might be too much to ask him to come here with Zedd around."

"They'll help us find Zordon and Alpha, as well," Billy stated, partly just to get off the thought of what they knew Zedd had done to the young Tefonian Prince. Then, as he caught the look in Tommy's eyes, "Or do you not believe there is anything to find?"

"The Command Centre imploded, guys," Tommy stated, softly. "Everything within destroyed. Alpha was entirely of this dimension, so there will be nothing to find of him. Zordon … he was only partly within our dimension, so there is the chance he's simply within another. With help and time, we might be able to find him. If the implosion didn't complete collapse the connection between our dimension and whatever dimension Zordon resides in."

Trini let out a slight hitched breath, holding back tears for their lost friend, their missing mentor. Billy hugged her, Tommy gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Come on, I'll show you to the hospital wing and you can all get your injuries treated."

Billy and Trini started to follow him, but Zack stopped them. "So Tommy, you know this place _because he signed the treaty_?" When Tommy didn't say anything or even turn to face them, Zack added, "You have a way of … of sounding like you're answering a question when you're really just talking about something else. So was that how you knew, yes or no?"

Tommy sighed softly as he turned to face the other Rangers. "No." He motioned to Severus. "That _sporcaccione _gaping at us like an idiot is technically my uncle." He almost flinched at himself, hearing that word leave his mouth. Billy tended to recognize languages, at the least their world of origin, and he had to speak Nimian where he could hear. He usually kept better control of himself than to allow such slips. Billy couldn't know even the language base there, but that in itself would suggest it's origins. Before they could question the word he used to describe him, hoping they didn't really notice it, he continued, "I was born to his sister, and for the first four years of my life, I thought him the greatest uncle possible. Then, I was kidnapped and … no matter what, I didn't … forget. When I escaped, I found my way back here, found Severus, and he informed me that my parents were dead and that it 'would be better' if I just continued to live in America. So, I did. A few months later, I ended up in the Grove, entered that tournament that drew Rita's attention and the rest, as they say, is history. -- Now, would you care to get your injuries treated so we can get back out there and save Jas from Rita and Zedd or was there some other _unnecessary incidental _information you'd like to question first?"

Solemnly, Trini asked, "I should have asked this before, seeing as I know the answer with every other friend I have, but where do you live?"

He rolled his eyes. "Command Centre."

"So, your house just blew up?"

"Technically, imploded. We do have things to be doing." Without another word, he walked out of the Great Hall.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Guess that's the end of the question/answer session," Zack commented as he walked with Billy and Trini to the doors.

"We are so going to get the answer to some of those questions, though," Trini stated. "He's too young to live alone."

"Yet not too young to lead the Rangers in an intergalactic war," Billy added sarcastically.

"What?" Trini responded.

Zack argued, "Jason leads us."

Billy stopped at the door and faced the other two. "Who are we following at this moment?" he questioned. "Even when Jason's with us, Jason spends more time following Tommy's lead than anything, as anyone paying attention would easily notice. Tommy taught Jason tactics, Tommy taught Jason and myself, because I asked, the -- the science and art of war. Sure, Jason was always a talented fighter, world class, as his trophy's attest, a soldier even, but he was not a warrior. Not until Tommy. Jason didn't have the background, he'd never been in a real fight, the no rules type, until the Rangering."

"And you think Tommy had?" Zack questioned.

Trini answered softly, "He definitely had. I never thought about it but … I basically grew up in Grandfather's dojo and the one thing common to everyone … No one became that good, especially that young, without a hell of a reason."

"Reasons that tend to have more to do with survival than living," Billy agreed. "His reasons … They've made him like the perfect warrior. Which is why the only thing I found really surprising in his answer a moment ago is there is someone stupid enough to turn him away." He hesitated, then softly told them, "You know, I asked Tommy to teach me to fight so I wouldn't be a drag, a danger to the team?"

"You were never a drag on us," Trini disputed.

"I know. Now. After Tommy kicked my ass for suggesting I was anything less than the hero he believed me to be, he did teach me. So much more than just to fight. He taught me to be _me_. He crammed down my throat exactly how much my art of science protects us all until I couldn't doubt myself anymore. He taught me that the motions of the body are like math, formulas that just take the right thought process to comprehend. Not Jason, but Tommy. When I said something to Jason about teaching me to fight, he said he'd always be there for me. What he meant is he'd protect me. But that's not what I wanted and it sure wasn't what I needed."

Billy paused, looking to the others to see if they understood. He continued, "Tommy is the one that taught Kim she could be something besides the damsel in distress part she was playing. Tommy's the one that showed her how her gymnastics could be a fighting art, how the martial arts could be like her gymnastics. And Tommy's the one that led each one of us through our greatest fears as they've been exploited. Jason has the official title of leader, and he leads when nothing's going wrong or when it's Tommy that's missing. But when anything goes wrong, Tommy is the one we follow. Unstated. We follow him without hesitation, completely trusting him to know what to do, do what needs done. He's younger than us, yes, but in battle, in all things related to the war, it doesn't matter. He's the best, so we follow. So give him the same honor in his personal life. If he doesn't want to talk, we won't speak of it. Just … let him know our homes are open, but that's it."

Trini and Zack were looking at him in shock. "Think that's the most I've ever heard you say about something besides your inventions," Zack commented.

Trini gave Billy a one armed hug. "We'll let it go, I guess. Maybe we should follow Tommy before he's too far ahead of us to see."

Billy grinned. "Trini, he'll be at a distance ahead that we can just see him as he rounds a corner or something, just where we can catch up while he's walking, like always. He's _waiting_."

Trini and Zack didn't look completely convinced as they followed the Blue Ranger out the door.

***

Dinner was not over when Tommy reentered the Great Hall, looking not much different than when he'd left. He had straightened his clothing, dusted off, but it didn't look like he'd gotten any wounds healed. He walked with an air of grace and power directly to the head table, bowed lightly to Headmaster Dumbledore. "I would ask use of the Communications Stone given you in the treaty, sir."

Dumbledore motioned to the crystal set in the head table, directly before where he sat. "If you can work the stone, you may do so."

Tommy glanced at the Stone, then looked at the older wizard, trying to decide if he truly was insane. Who set a Communications Stone in a dining hall, before everyone, where anyone could touch it? Then, as he thought on the man's wording, he realized the man could not operate it, therefore was unworried of what anyone else would do with it.

Tommy stepped forward, placed his hand just short of an inch away from the Stone, and an intense clear light burst forth to meet him, taking on a green aura as it swirled around him, then returned to the Stone. Tommy stepped back, never looking away from the crystal now glowing with a soft green aura. A moment later, a Golden light emanated and took transparent form before him as an older man in Golden robes, a young man barely older than the other Earth Rangers dressed in gold pants and shirt with sword at his side, and another boy between their ages and Tommy's, also dressed mainly in gold though he also wore black and silver.

"Greetings, Green Dragon Thunder Ranger of Earth," the eldest greeted, giving a slight bow. "My sons speak highly of you, though both are more than worried over your Call coming from this Stone. Has something befell the great Zordon of Eltare?"

Tommy bowed in return, precisely the same breadth as the man gave him. "Greetings, King Tayn, Master of the Gold Zeo Line, Gold Zeo Ranger Prince Trey, Prince Rand of Tefonia. I would state the one who's Stone I am using saw fit to place it in the middle of their dining facilities, so the Call is less than private. -- Unfortunately, I am Calling for aid on my team's behalf. -- The Command Centre is …" he hesitated slightly over the wording, "imploded, Zordon is lost. The Red Dino Ranger, my spirit-brother Jason, is being held by Lord Zedd of Nim, and the Pink Dino Ranger, my love Kim, is … unlikely to survive without the higher healing of the Grid Healers. The others, Billy, Trini, and Zack are having their injuries treated at the moment and should be okay."

"If Lord Zedd doesn't kill you all in the coming rescue attempt," King Tayn breathed. "But, young warrior, we are not of the PC. Why Call …"

Prince Rand interrupted his father. "What about you, Tommy? You look like you've been though ten rounds with a G'gsta, why haven't you seen to your own injuries?"

"_Rand_!" his father responded forcefully to this before Tommy could. "Decorum, child! You do not ask a Master Warrior such!"

"Unless there is a connection," Tommy smoothly interrupted the man's words. "Both Rand and Trey have the right to ask after me."

The man looked at Tommy with a piercing intensity for a long moment, then turned to his sons. "And just what, my sons, did you leave out of your story?"

The boys looked uncomfortable under his gaze, but Trey answered, "Just the part where we were both captured by Lord Zedd's forces and Tommy single-handedly rescued us."

A long silence followed. Then, King Tayn softly said, "We owe a debt to the PC." He did not sound like one who liked to be indebted, but much less to the PC.

"_I _am _not _the PC," Tommy softly stated, never once backing down from the older man's eyes.

"You are a Power Ranger of Earth." It was both a statement and a question. After all, it was confusing to the multiverse that this boy fought so strongly against Lord Zedd of Nim with the Power of Zedd's line.

"Correct on both points. -- I am a Power Ranger and I am of Earth," Tommy agreed. "But Earth is not of the PC. We have been loosely allied, through Zordon, but that is all."

"Your world is too small to stand alone, child."

"I am a Warrior Independent," Tommy stated, power and pride in his tone and stance. "Do not call me _child_."

The King bowed once more to the young Ranger. "Forgive my wording, but you are so young, younger than my youngest."

"Age is relative," he responded before continuing, "I am not stating we should stand alone. I am asking for aid from a government that, through your sons, I trust more than the PC."

"We owe you. My sons will return with their forces."

Tommy glanced at Prince Rand, saw the flash of fear in his eyes that he tried to hide, and spoke softly without looking at the king. "I am not asking that both come. Prince Trey and his forces are all I ask."

King Tayn noticed Tommy's gaze shifting to Rand, and he turned to his youngest. "What _else_ was left out of your story?" he asked, gently.

Prince Rand didn't look up to meet his father's eyes. "Just the part where I was mortally wounded and Tommy … stopped it," he responded softly. A moment passed, no one said a word, there was nothing to be said. King Tayn could not order his son to go on this mission if Tommy stated otherwise. With this connection, Tommy actually had the stronger command than him as the father or King. Grid Master.

After a long moment passed without anything said, King Tayn softly said, "You own my son's life, Grid Master."

Tommy met the king's eyes with a strength beyond time. "He owns his own life," he stated strongly.

Rand took a deep breath and stepped passed his father and met Tommy's eyes with an inner strength. He smiled softly and said simply, "I'm coming."

Tommy smiled in return. "You have a true strength, my friend."

"One question, though, my friend. Where are you living?" When Tommy just looked at him with an air of confusion, Rand said, "We were One as you healed me, Tommy. I know you lived in the Command Centre these last years. Where are you staying now? No, rather, where will you be living now?"

Tommy grinned and said, "Nice change of wording."

"You're like our Silver Ranger, more likely to answer the question I don't mean to ask than the one that needs answered," Rand returned. "Do you have a place to go?"

Tommy thought of the last five places he'd stayed before the Command Centre, each destroyed within a week of him moving in, and had no idea how to answer that question. He'd turn it aside, but the young prince seemed less than willing to let that happen.

When Tommy didn't answer for a moment, the Tefonian royalty took this to mean he had no idea. King Tayn said, "I cannot do anything about an Earthbound abode, however, my sons will bring your command ship. Our new ships do not require more than one person to operate, can stand on their own for long stretches of time, she will be an adequate home and additional firepower."

Tommy didn't respond for a long moment. A home, a permanent home to keep. The Command Centre was temporary from the beginning, he was surprised Zordon allowed him to stay as long as he had, and he'd never had a home since he was stolen from his parents. "Thank you," he finally said, softly. A home, a permanent way off the streets, and a way out if necessary. He would not leave the Earth Rangers, he owed them so much and they were family, but sometime in the future, especially with Zedd targeting him specifically, there might come a time when he needed to leave in order to protect them.

"Think nothing of it, Master Warrior, we owe you more."

"I know you speak of my helping your sons there but even if I claimed that as a debt …" Tommy shrugged slightly. "I think we place a different value on such a home." In clear but hesitant Tefonia High he added, "It is very possible you are repaying in kind."

King Tayn bowed slightly in understanding but made no comment on the wording. He asked instead, in English, "Will you wait for my boys before going after your Red Dino Ranger?"

"I would rather not answer that here." Tommy shrugged elegantly. "Never know who's listening."

"True." King Tayn bowed, Trey and Rand bowed a bare second afterwards. Tommy returned the bow, and the connection was severed. The Stone stopped glowing, returned to its usual state.

"You should be resting, Blue Boy," Tommy said before turning around. His eyes scanned the Blue Ranger, insuring he was okay, and he smiled seeing the young genius in a blue version of the wizard's robes. All signs of the recent lost battle were healed.

"So should you," Billy pointed out. "I'll rest when you do. You should get your injuries treated, Tommy. Probably need to eat, too. Have you eaten today?"

"You worry too much, Billy."

"Everyone needs a hobby," he responded, grinning. Tommy grinned in response. "Really, Tommy …"

"I'm okay. -- Rand's coming."

"I heard." A long silence followed, then Billy quietly asked, "What did he mean that you stopped him from dying? How?"

Tommy knew what Billy really wanted to ask. Kim was still dying, though the medi-witch had managed to basically freeze her in the moment where she might survive long enough for the Tefonians to arrive with healers. "By him not being a Ranger," he answered softly. "The Green Line knew a way."

"Then our Powers, our lines would push away that help, like they do any disease?"

"Our lines would clash spectacularly, possibly kill her quicker," Tommy stated with a sad smile. "They are … the Green and Pink are almost completely opposite."

Billy could see the despair in Tommy's eyes, as he knew the young Green Ranger so well. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and gently wrapped his arms around the younger, muscular boy. Tommy tensed at first, as he always did when touched, then relaxed into the support Billy offered. Billy held him for a moment, then led him away without another word. He, of course, led him to the med bay … hospital wing, and Tommy finally allowed his injuries treated as the Blue Ranger stood at his side.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

All conversations ceased in the Great Hall as the four Power Rangers entered barely into breakfast the next morning. Each one was now wearing a robe, but unlike the black school robes, each of theirs was of their color. They were clean, their injuries appeared to be healed, though Tommy's face was almost hidden by his currently loose slightly curly hair.

"You can sit here," a girl with bushy hair offered, motioning to their table. The other three Rangers looked to Tommy, who simply shrugged and led the way over. As they sat down, the girl introduced herself. "I'm Hermione Granger. These are my friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley." The first boy had unruly dark hair, bright green eyes, and a lightening bolt scar on his forehead. The other had bright red hair.

"Don't ask Harry for his autograph though," a second year warned. "He doesn't like it." Tommy ignored him while the other Rangers looked at the younger boy blankly. Harry smiled as he saw they weren't enthralled with the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing.

Tommy nodded to them with that same almost bow of his. "Tommy Oliver. Our Blue Boy is Billy Cranston, Black is Zack Taylor, and Yellow's Trini Kwan."

"Do you always refer to each other by color?" an older red-headed boy, identical twin to the one beside him, asked as the two boys joined them.

"Usually," Tommy responded. The other Rangers had started eating, but Tommy had yet to even touch a plate. Trini noticed this and casually pushed a plate towards him, having set some of his favorite foods on it. Tommy grinned at this but there was a pain hiding behind the expression. "I'm fine, Tri."

"You haven't eaten since before the battle. Humor me," Trini responded, meeting his eyes calmly. With an air of familiarity, she brushed Tommy's loose hair back behind his ears where she could see his face better. She knew him well enough to read the pain in his eyes. With a small, sad smile on her face, she very gently bushed her fingers though his hair and tied it back in a ponytail like he usually wore, never once breaking eye contact with him. "It's better like this, we can see you." She let one hand fall back to her side, the other gently traced the three fairly deep cuts still visible on Tommy's face. "She couldn't heal that?"

Tommy started to turn away, but Trini's hand on his cheek stopped him. Her touch forced nothing, just asked him not to turn away, and as often happened when dealing with the Rangers, Tommy found himself unable to go against her wishes.

"Zedd's claws," Tommy explained the wound, and Trini's eyes grew big, though she allowed herself no other reaction. Beside and behind Tommy, Zack and Billy each flinched at this. None of them had known the Dark Emperor had been so near their young friend in that battle. "It's okay," Tommy assured softly.

But they all knew it wasn't okay. Zedd's obsession was with Tommy. Kim's life-threatening injuries were received because Zedd knew of their love, saw her as an obstacle to claiming the young Green Ranger as his own. Jason was taken captive because of his and Tommy's close relationship. The Command Centre itself was destroyed, and Trini would be willing to bet the strength of the attack on that front at this time was also because of Zedd's obsession with Tommy. Knowing Zordon as she did, she knew their mentor wouldn't have allowed Tommy to live there if there wasn't much more to the story than he told. At a guess, some of those places destroyed in the past were places Tommy was living up until then. Not that she nor any of the other Rangers would ever speak those words aloud, let alone ask Tommy. Because they all knew Tommy would accept the blame if they even appeared to offer it to him. He carried his guilt like a shield, sometimes.

Trini could see how much everything was getting to him now. And his not eating was only a part of it, but a part she could do something about. Very quietly, to Tommy alone and ignoring all others, she said, "I know you'd die for us, Tommy, though we never asked for that … devotion. I do ask something harder, something more."

Tommy took her hand in his, laid a soft kiss on it, and said, "I know, Tri. You, the Power Rangers of Earth, are my family, all the family I need."

Unnoticed to the Rangers and most everyone in the room, at the head table, Severus Snape flinched at these words. In all the room, only Headmaster Dumbledore, a blond haired boy at the Slytherin table named Draco Malfoy, and Harry Potter noticed this reaction.

Tommy paused, then spoke the words the Rangers most wanted to hear at the moment. "I live for you." He finally began eating and the three Rangers at his side breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe sometime they'd be able to get the young Green Ranger to realize life was worth living for himself, but for now they breathed easier in hearing him say those words.

He hadn't eaten nearly enough, in the other Rangers' minds, when he pushed his plate away and turned to them with a serious expression. "I'm going after my brother. Billy, will you come with me?"

"We all will," Zack stated, but Tommy shook his head no.

"You know where Zedd's taken him. We're not getting in there by force -- it'll take a covert operation to get in, let alone back out again. The smaller the number the better so it's me and one other," Tommy quietly explained, a distant expression filling his eyes as he seemed to be looking through them, to something only he could see. "It'll take someone that's talented in fighting not only on the open battlefield, but in the silent shadows. One that can analyze the situation and make decisions where to strike, when not to strike, without looking to anyone else for the answers. All the Rangers are talented warriors, among the best in the 'verse, but this is different. In all ways, Billy is the best one to be with me."

"I am?" Billy questioned, softly shocked. He trusted himself when it came to science, he knew his inventions had saved the team many times. But he'd never thought of his fighting abilities as a talent let alone one above any of the other Rangers. Not even after learning from Tommy.

Tommy turned to him, his gaze meeting the Blue Ranger's eyes, and he smiled, easily reading the self-doubt in the young genius. "Yes. -- You know, the hardest part will be keeping Jason quiet after we get him. You know I love him, but he terrible at this type thing. He's the only one to come near me in a head-on battle, but you have him beat in the more subtle arts."

Billy blushed, he especially never expected anyone to say he was better at any form of fighting than Jason Scot. To hear it from Tommy was even more shocking, because Tommy was the best at all forms of fighting and tactical analysis, as all the warriors they'd met from any world agreed. Billy also knew Tommy would never lie to him so every word he spoke was nothing more than the truth.

A fierce pride emanated from Billy as he bowed lightly to the young Green Ranger. "I will of course accompany you."

"Thank you." Tommy turned to Zack and Trini. "Watch over my Pink Angel while I'm away. And if Trey calls … don't tell him where we are."

They nodded. "Time?" Trini asked.

"When Billy finishes breakfast. Mission complete, forty-eight hours."

"I'm finished," Billy announced, standing. Tommy stood as well, followed by Trini and Zack. The Rangers exchanged hugs, then stepped back from each other. Tommy and Trini checked their watches in almost the same movement, then Tommy said, "It's morphin' time!"

"Triceratops!" Billy called out.

"Dragonzord!" Tommy called at the same moment. Their voices echoed though the Great Hall, bouncing off each other, and in a flash of Green and Blue light, they stood morphed before the school for a second before the Power took them, teleporting them to the destination in their minds at the moment they morphed. The flare of Power took the breaths away from the gathered witches and wizards, the sky illusion always present in the Great Hall flickered out, showing a plain ceiling, reappearing only a full minute after they left.

"May the Power protect you," Trini and Zack murmured softly to their friends as they disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Think Trey'll be here before time?" Zack asked.

"I hope he's here _at _time, if they're not back," Trini responded, worried for her friends. "I don't know how we'd go after them if he's not."

"Me either, Trini," Zack admitted quietly, the usual humor missing from his tone. Then with a grin, he said, "I'll go sit with Kim while you eat, since I ate while you were busy _touching _our Greenman."

Trini blushed at the way he said that, but returned, "You know as well as I do that Tommy is a touch empath. I was making sure he heard me in the only way I know how. With both Jason and Kim … unable to do so …"

"I know," Zack assured her. Everyone in Angel Grove High knew Trini had a crush on Tommy, except Tommy and Kim. She would never say anything about it, not so long as he was with her best friend, even to herself. And Zack doubted Tommy noticed the intimacy of her touch, as it was true they all were easy about touching him since finding out he was a touch empath and he couldn't tune them out when they did so. And they needed a way to reach him, since the spell Rita placed on him to make him the 'evil' Green Ranger still haunted him. They needed a way to convince him that he is good, and he can't disbelieve them when they're touching, looking into his eyes.

Trini smiled at him. "Get outta here, Zackman. Kim's been alone too long." She turned to her plate as Zack left.

Hermione commented, "So, there was _nothing_ intimate about how you were with Tommy?"

Trini blushed again, not looking up from her plate. After a moment, she said, "Tommy's in love with Kim, my best friend. I love him like a brother."

It sounded like she very much wanted to believe that, to convince herself. And for this reason, the witch and wizards dropped the subject, moved onto more neutral territory.

***

"My Prince," a voice said behind the young man, causing him to turn around from where he'd been staring into space for an immeasurable length of time. The man behind him was dressed in stunning silver as befitted his position as Silver Ranger.

"Ranger Dyun," Prince Rand returned the greeting. "What brings you here?"

"I noticed you here the past five times I've passed through," Dyun returned. "I wished to assure your well-being."

Rand smiled, though there was a hint of melancholy to the expression. "Just thinking. -- You heard, I assume, about what happened last time Trey and I were around Earth?"

"That you were killed and one of the Earth Rangers stopped you from dying, but not how that occurred. The Line I heard mentioned is not known for it's healing abilities."

"I doubt anyone but Tommy could explain how it occurred, if even he could do so. But it connected us. Tommy is not waiting for us to rescue his team leader."

The Silver Ranger thought a moment. "You are worried for him."

"Tommy is … much like you, Dyun. When you meet him, most the time you can't begin to see what he's thinking or feeling. There were only two times most could see his emotions. When he looked at Kim, their Pink Dino Ranger, the one who he called our Healers to help as she is dying. He loves her, cherishes her, and anytime he looked her way it was obvious to see. She seemed more infatuated with him than anything but there's a chance she's learned to love the real him. The other time being when he was with Jason, the Red Dino Ranger and leader of the team. Jason is Tommy's spirit-brother, hero, and it was easy to see in Tommy's face. The way he feels about the others, I couldn't read until after he stopped me from dying. They all are very important to him but I do not know that Tommy could survive losing those two. His soul is crying in pain and fear so that I feel it even from here. What I fear is that …" He hesitated. "Lord Zedd is rumored to be a telepath. If Tommy's pain is crying this strongly …"

"He won't be able to sneak into Lord Zedd's stronghold, if the rumors are true," Dyun finished easily. "But my Prince, there is another part to this story. If anyone were to know the truth or lie in that rumor, it would be the young Green Dragon Ranger. He might also know a way around the Dark Lord's abilities, as the Green Dragon is of Lord Zedd's line." The Silver Ranger left off how much this same connection could be used against the young Ranger, more easily than the child could use it against the Master of the Line. He had never personally met Tommy Oliver but like every other Ranger in existence, he'd heard the stories. The boy would have been legendary simply as a Green Dragon Ranger fighting against Darkness, but to fight directly against Lord Zedd of Nim with his own family's Line of Power, then continuously come out on top was simply unheard of before. The Earth Rangers were legendary, their exploits well known, but Green Ranger Tommy Oliver was the one spoken of by all Ranger teams when they needed something to help them through the hard times.

Rand almost laughed. "Just as easily as Trey could use the Gold to rebel against Dad, if they were on opposite sides. I do know how the Powers work even as I've never held such a position. -- However, you are right. If anyone can do it, it will be Tommy. Rita made a big mistake messing with that child, I believe Lord Zedd just might be making a mistake in it as well."

"If he is anything like his legend," Dyun said.

Rand smiled. "He is much more than those stories."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Twenty hours into the rescue mission, Tommy and Billy, still morphed, were before the door to the cell holding their friend and leader. Billy was shocked to find himself standing guard while Tommy picked the locks on the door, but the young Green Ranger was making much better time of it than Billy could have done with the non-computerized locks. Finally, the last lock opened and Billy turned to help pull the heavy door open when he stopped again in surprise, as Tommy pulled a can out of a pocket and sprayed the hinges first.

"Zedd leaves the hinges unoiled, makes them harder to open and easier to hear," Tommy commented under his breath to the Blue Ranger. "Wait a moment for the spray to work."

They stood there what seemed like forever to Billy, then Tommy grabbed the handle and started to pull, and Billy joined in. The door quickly, and silently, opened far enough to slip inside.

Tommy stopped Billy from following. "Side door we passed. Stay in shadows, tap the comm. if anyone comes."

"Tommy …"

Tommy shook his head. "If someone does come, both of us getting locked in here with Jas won't help. I've gotta unlock him."

Billy didn't like it but he nodded and moved to his post. He wondered, briefly, if part of the reason he was the one Tommy wanted here is that he would leave and take that post. Before he could move away, though, Tommy stopped him with a firm grip on his shoulder.

"Billy. Will you promise me something?"

"Anything," Billy vowed. Especially when Tommy sounded so serious and frightened at the same time.

Tommy smiled slightly. "Get Jason home. No matter what else happens, please, just concentrate on getting Jas home. Anything else can come later."

"I won't leave you," Billy stated.

"I'm not asking that. Even if everything goes wrong, I'm not asking you to abandon me or anything, Billy. Just -- Just get the man I'd give my soul to protect away from Zedd, or I might have to."

Billy nodded, not quite trusting his voice around the lump in his throat. After a second, he said in an emotion-filled voice, "I swear to you, Tommy, I will do everything in my Power to see Jason safely home, no matter what else. I won't just let Zedd use him against you."

"Thank you." Tommy turned and entered the cell, Billy watched him go then made his way to his post.

***

"Hey, bro," Tommy said, quietly, as he knelt beside where the Red Dino Ranger was chained to the wall.

"Tommy?" Jason said, sounding almost dazed. The chains had a magic that kept the mind off balance as well as locking one in place.

"Relax, bro," Tommy assured him. "I'll have you unlocked in a sec."

Completely trusting the younger boy, Jason smiled for the first time since he was captured, and simply watched as Tommy worked. In a short moment, Tommy had his legs freed and, standing, he began working on the chains on Jason's arms. This was harder, as the locks were higher than Tommy was tall, he could barely reach them stretching to his toes and reaching as high as he could. Tommy closed his eyes and let his hands do the seeing as he worked the locks. The first hand was freed, Tommy moved to the last chain, and him comm. beeped. Turning around fast, Tommy heard the cell door slam before he saw Zedd himself standing in the cell with them. With a wave of the Dark Lord's hand, the locks on the door once again slammed shut, locking them inside.

"Hello, Tommy boy," Zedd smirked, his arms crossed at his chest. He made no move to approach them, he had no need to. "Power Down."

"Don't, Tommy," Jason told him, reaching towards the younger boy with his free hand. Tommy took his hand for a second, slipping the lock pick into his hand, before stepping forward.

"You won't win," Tommy calmly stated. "I will never willingly serve you."

Zedd laughed darkly. "Then you will watch your friends die. The end remains the same, child. You are mine, now and forever." He stalked forward, slapped the boy who still had not done as ordered. He watched, smirking, as the Green Ranger slammed into the opposing wall with great force. "I said Power Down!"

Tommy cursed him as he pushed himself back up.

Jason finally stopped just watching and turned to trying to free his hand so he could help his little brother. He did his best to concentrate on what Tommy had taught him, but he just knew this was going to take too long. _At least I'm doing something, though, _he thought to himself. He closed his eyes and focused on the lock.

He almost had it … when a strong grip on his wrist caused him to drop the pick. Jason opened his eyes and met the Dark Lord's blood red gaze. Zedd snickered. "Well, it seems my Tommy boy's been teaching you trades Reds rarely believe in." Zedd pulled Jason's arm down, turned his hand over and ran a claw across his skin, over the vein, not quite cutting. Jason's breathing was harsh and frightened, but he said nothing. Zedd paid him no attention now, his gaze locked on the young Green Ranger, who had frozen in place a few feet away, one hand almost reaching towards them. Zedd didn't say anything, just smirked and waited.

A long moment passed as the three occupants of the cell stood frozen in their places, waiting. Then, Tommy dropped his hand and softly sighed the words, "Power down." In a flash, Tommy stood before them unmorphed, in the green robe he'd worn within Hogwarts.

"Interesting outfit, Tommy boy," Zedd commented as he moved his claw away from Jason's blood vein and held his hand out to Tommy.

Tommy, knowing exactly what Zedd wanted and expected, pulled his Power Coin from it's pocket dimension and stepped forward, placing it in Zedd's clawed grasp, almost flinching when Zedd sent it into his own pocket dimension. This wouldn't really interfere with his ability to morph, only making it more difficult instead of impossible like it would the other Rangers. But because of this, it would trap him with Zedd. Because of the spell that originally tied him to the Green Coin, Tommy was intricately connected to the Coin itself and he wasn't going anywhere so long as Zedd held it.

With a smirk, Zedd finally released his grip on Jason and stepped forward, gripping Tommy's chin and forcing him to look up and meet his eyes. "Tell me where you came about those robes, my child."

With Zedd holding his chin, his face angled up to meet the much taller Dark Lord's gaze, it was most difficult to speak, but Tommy responded softly, "They're borrowed. My things kinda imploded."

Zedd read the rest in his eyes. "So you are descended of this little world's wizards. What fools your family must be to throw you out."

Tommy didn't say anything, he would have turned away if he could have. After a moment, Zedd said, "You will stay here, my boy. I have business to attend." Zedd chuckled at the fear he saw flash across Tommy's eyes, all the conformation he needed that Tommy knew what the connection could do to him. Zedd released him with an almost gentle push back that still managed to throw him into the nearby wall, where he sank to the floor and hugged his knees to his chest. Zedd walked out the door, it unlocking for him and shutting and relocking the moment he was through.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Tommy pushed himself up the moment Zedd was gone, found the pick Jason dropped and finished unlocking the Red Ranger. He helped Jason to sit down then sat down beside him, once again hugging his knees.

"It'll be okay," Jason assured him, sounding completely confident. In his opinion there was no reason to lack confidence. After all, they'd been in bad positions before and they always pulled through, there was no reason to think this would be any different. Between the six of them, they could do most anything.

Tommy shook his head no, but said, "Billy's out there, he can get the door open eventually."

"The others?"

"Trini and Zack are watching over Kimmy while waiting for Trey to arrive with a healer," was Tommy's softly spoken answer. He could feel the pain beginning as Zedd moved further and further away with his Power Coin.

Jason heard the fear in Tommy's voice when he said Kim's name. "It'll be okay, bro," he assured again. "She'll pull through. We always do."

"Your theory is if you beat the odds once you'll beat them every time? Do me a favor bro, don't ever go to Vegas."

"You're being pessimistic. Zordon …"

"Is gone."

"The Command C…"

"Gone."

Another long silence, then Jason quietly commented, "So that's where you've been living." When Tommy glanced at him, Jason chuckled lightly. "Come on, bro, you're my best friend and brother. I noticed. I know at least five places you've stayed were destroyed in one way or another, but I hadn't figured out where you went from there. Everything considered, I left it alone, knowing you had reason to hide."

"I'm sorry," Tommy breathed.

"Tommy, bro, it's not your fault," Jason assured softly. "None of it's your fault."

Tommy didn't say anything else. It was an old script between them, Tommy apologizing and Jason assuring him of his innocence, they both knew the lines by heart. Tommy's lack of response caused Jason pause, and he immediately wrapped his arms around the younger boy. Tommy, as always, flinched slightly at the touch, then relaxed a bit in the loving embrace.

"You're hurting," Jason stated. "And not just from the fight with Zedd. Wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Jas," Tommy sighed, resting his head on the older boy's shoulder.

"Tommy, I saw your face when Zedd said he was leaving." Tommy stiffened in his arms, started to move away, but Jason tightened his grip. "I'm not letting go, bro. I won't abandon you. I love you, nothing will change that."

Tommy quit trying to move away, but he wasn't as relaxed now. "I … It's the spell, the one Rita used to make me the Green Ranger."

"We broke the spell," Jason reminded him softly.

Tommy shook his head. "No, you broke the control spell, the one that made me do evil. You didn't break the one that made me the Green Ranger. Zordon said it can't be broken, the connection between me and the Green Coin. We tried to find a way, so someone else could … Not that I wanted to leave the team or that Zordon was gonna make me or anything. I just … a break from everything. Zordon thought I needed time to heal first, but we couldn't separate me from it." He paused, Jason started to comment, but Tommy continued, "I don't need the Coin to morph, really. It's easier, but I don't need it like you guys do. But you could pass the Power on without harm, give your Coins to someone else and walk away. I can't. Zordon said the loss of the Power would kill me if we did separate us and … I'm not dying or anything here, I still have the Power, but … I'm connected to the Coin, so I can't go anywhere. The distance within the palace is hurting, I can't leave it here and go to Earth."

"We'll get it back then," Jason responded, his voice strong, trying to hide his true fear for his little brother at learning this. A part of his mind sneered at himself for the effort. As he was holding the empath tightly, Tommy didn't need to hear it in his voice to know his emotions. Even if he wasn't holding him, he doubted Tommy would miss his reaction. Zordon called Tommy a touch empath which the others took to mean Tommy could read their emotions when they were touching and they all knew he couldn't block them at such times. Jason, however, knew this to mean only that Tommy couldn't block them out when in physical contact, the empath could read them anytime he tried, many times he didn't.

"Billy's about to get through the door," Tommy commented softly. "Sudden excitement."

Jason grinned at this. Tommy didn't make comments about others' emotions, touching or not, in front of the others, but he often did with Jason. The first comment Tommy made to him had been on Trini, a suggestion that they try to get her and Billy together of all things. He'd said Trini thought herself in love and because of that didn't see the one she would be happy with. He'd later commented that Trini had found another interest, though she had yet to let go of her older feelings. Jason often wondered how the others, after learning Tommy an empath of any kind, could still believe him completely blind to Trini's crush on him.

"Then we'll find Zedd and get your Coin back so we can all go home," Jason responded.

Tommy shook his head slightly. "No, we'd only fail today. Jason … I know you don't want to, I know you'll totally hate what I'm about to ask, but please promise me this."

"Tommy …"

"Promise me you'll leave with Billy, get home, get your wounds treated. So that you can come back as a team and help me?" He looked up, met the older boy's eyes, and spoke before Jason could. "I need you alive and free, bro. I -- Zedd won't kill me and he won't put a control spell on me as he still thinks he can get me to join him of my own will. I won't say I'll be okay here, I wouldn't insult your intelligence, but … I do trust you to come back for me and that's the only way it'll work right now. So please Jason, promise me you'll go."

Trust. Jason knew how hard it was for Tommy to trust, how much it meant that he'd speak that word. And Jason knew Tommy meant it. The younger boy wouldn't lie to them for anything, he'd been lied to and betrayed so much in his life that he would never dream of doing so to anyone else. So that word alone was enough to make Jason want to do anything Tommy could ask. Anything _but_ what he asked.

Tommy was right on that; Jason truly hated the very idea of leaving his little brother in this place. But Jason was a warrior, he did understand how much the odds were against success of any kind if the three of them tried to take Zedd on alone, especially in their current conditions.

The door opened, Billy smiled at them. "Come on, guys."

Jason and Tommy didn't move, they continued to stare into each other's eyes. Finally, Jason smiled softly and said, "I promise, little bro." He stood and offered Tommy a hand up. Just because he was leaving him in the palace didn't mean he'd leave him in a dungeon cell.

It was not surprising when, once out of the cell, Tommy took the lead.

***

"Zedd's coming," Tommy warned softly. "This is where we part, guys. Billy."

"I'll get him home," Billy promised again. He and Jason watched as Tommy nodded and ran off in the opposite direction, then they continued on, neither one happy to be going but both unwilling to break their word to Tommy. It wasn't long before they reached the teleportation point, and in a twin flash of Red and Blue, the two boys teleported directly to Hogwarts.

***

Prince Trey, Gold Ranger and leader of the Tefonian Rangers, led his team and younger brother to teleport into Hogwarts Great Hall, where they were greeted by Zack and Trini. Trini, seeing Prince Rand, threw herself into his arms, crying. Rand immediately wrapped his arms around her, comforting her.

"Kimberly?" Trey asked of Zack. He, like the others with him, was ignoring the crowd of students and professors gathered for breakfast.

"Died last night," Zack answered, wiping a tear from his eye.

At this, Trey immediately looked for Tommy. "Where is Tommy, how is he handling this?"

Zack hesitated. "He doesn't know yet. Don't ask, at least not for another four and a half minutes." Which was almost the same thing as saying he was on a mission, and everyone would know what mission but no one would say it. It was Ranger code.

Prince Rand, however, wasn't a Ranger. "He went after Jason."

"Couldn't say," Zack responded.

Silence fell, Trey simply waiting for the time Zack named to pass to ask after Tommy once again, hoping Tommy would appear and he could ask him personally. Hoping they wouldn't expect him to be the one to tell Tommy his soul mate died.

"Time," Trini said, wiping the tears from her face. She did not move away from Rand's comforting arms, though.

Trey glanced around once more, almost expecting Tommy to appear at her word. When this didn't occur he asked, "Where is Tommy?"

"He and Billy went to the moon palace to rescue Jason," Zack and Trini stated as one.

"That is where we shall go," Trey announced softly. "Rand …"

"I'm going," the younger prince stated.

"But not just yet," another voice stated, and they turned to see Billy and Jason standing behind them.

"Where's Tommy!" Zack, Trini, Trey, and Rand demanded of them.

"Still in the palace," Jason answered. "He made us promise to escape. And don't look at me like that! Like you can tell him no." Jason stepped up to Prince Trey. "Tell me something, Trey. What exactly did she do to him when she made him a Ranger?" Jason was angry and, unfortunately for Trey, with Zordon no longer available his was the highest ranking knowledge of the Grid Jason could focus his anger towards.

Trey quickly figured out what must have happened. "Calm down, Jason. Sit, we can …"

"DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Jason yelled in his face. "I _am not_ yours to command, and if I was, I wouldn't give a damn right now! This is about _Tommy_!"

At this the Tefonian Rangers looked ready to step between their leader and the emotional teen before them, but the Earth Rangers moved first. Zack and Billy stepped up on either side of Jason, each placing a hand on his shoulder, while Trini slipped out of Rand's arms and moved to stand between Jason and Trey. She met his eyes, and waited.

Finally, Jason covered his face with his hands and sighed. "Tommy's hurting and scared, like I've never felt from him."

Rand asked, "Jason, when did you die?"

All the Rangers looked at Rand then Jason.

"Tommy stopped it," Jason shrugged off his team's worry.

"Tommy said he could do that with Prince Rand because he wasn't a Ranger, though," Billy commented, trying to figure out what he was missing.

"Not a Ranger or of a conflicting line," Jason stated easily. "It was after I was injured and Zordon had me take off the team to heal. I handed Tommy my Power Coin then so he could call my Zord if needed, remember. We weren't conflicting lines after that 'cause Tommy's connected to the Red Line now, too." Jason looked at his Rangers a moment, then said, "Kim died, didn't she."

It was more of a statement than a question but Trini answered softly, "Last night."

"No," Jason breathed softly, the one word filled with emotion. A long moment passed, then Jason looked to Trey and smiled sadly. "Sorry for …"

"I understand," Trey assured. "Let's sit and I will tell you what I know of the Lokorian witch, Rita Repulsa. But understand that I do not know precisely what was done to Tommy."

"I know," Jason assured, and they all sat at the closest table, which happened to be Slytherin. Surprising most the school, Draco Malfoy actually made several of his house mates move down so there would be room for them all. Billy casually filled a plate and placed it before Jason.

"I'm not hungry, Blue Boy," Jason stated.

Billy grinned. "You're as stubborn as Tommy. -- You have to eat, I know you haven't eaten since before Zedd captured you. If you're coming with us when we go after Tommy, you'll need all your strength, the Power can't do everything."

Jason met his eyes a moment, then asked, "What did you promise Tommy?"

Billy hesitated on answering then said, in the Eltarian language they learned from Zordon, "To protect the man he'd give his soul for." He paused as Jason actually paled at these words. In English, he stated, "So, I'm protecting. Eat."

Jason didn't say a word, but he did begin eating.

"I don't speak Eltarian, none of my people do, as I'm sure you are well aware, Blue Dino Ranger," Prince Trey quietly said. "However Jason's reaction to your words is frightening."

"Everyone that needs to know understood what I said," Billy responded softy.

Trini nodded slightly. "We are more interested in your words at this time, Prince Trey. What do you know of our enemies, what might she have done to Tommy that could be a threat even now?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Trey sighed softly. "As you know, Rita Repulsa is a fairly young witch of Lokor, barely 30,000 years old, the last 10,000 of which were spent locked in the prison to which her escape heralded your appointment as Power Rangers."

The Earth Rangers nodded, while the witches and wizards of Hogwarts stopped even pretending to still be eating.

Trey continued, "Lokor is one of the most powerful of the Dark Powers, worshiped on Dark worlds with blood and spirit sacrifices for ages immeasurable. The Witches of Lokor are chosen for their brutality, Power, and dark spirit, and Rita Repulsa was one of the youngest ever accepted and one of the worst. They have a control spell that is near on unbreakable when cast correctly. I suspected this to be what she used on him except that the five of you broke the spell fairly easily."

"Actually Tommy basically broke free himself, we just … finished it off," Jason commented.

Trey raised an eyebrow at this. No one really knew the story behind Tommy's joining their team beyond the Dino Rangers' assurance that Tommy was not in control of himself when he followed Darkness. They were young though and could have been fooled but Trey knew Tommy so he believed. "That is … that makes it less likely that the spell to which I refer is what was used."

"No," Prince Rand interrupted him. "It was from what Tommy, uh, remembers. The reason it didn't work is simple. She cast it on Tommy."

Trey looked at him a moment. Rand wasn't a Ranger but he was a most powerful mage. "What is it you see?"

"There is more Power within him than anyone has yet to see, most especially Tommy himself. He was too young for it to begin to manifest when she took him even by this short lived world's standards, yet when she focused the spell on him, his Power reacted on a subconscious level. His powers are still growing. Tommy may have been born to this world but he is of the immortal destiny."

Rand paused, letting them take in his words before he continued, "The control spell didn't work as fully as it should have because Tommy is a very independent spirit, unwilling to have anyone tell him what to do or be, and he fought. The other spell, the one that tied him to the Green Powers, is different. A part of him welcomed the Green Line because it does match his personality and he does enjoy being a Ranger and she was literally giving him the key to her own destruction. So his spirit fought the one spell and let the other come. As I said, this was all a subconscious reaction on the part of his magic however, if he had fought both, then it is highly likely that both would have claimed him. It's the other spell that's the danger now."

"Maybe you should tell this, my brother," Trey commented softly. "You seem to see Tommy clearly."

Rand chuckled. "No one truly sees Tommy clearly and no one will until he sees himself. I am simply a mage with a connection to the child. You however can explain the Ranger connection much better than I, as I have never been one."

Trey rolled his eyes, looking for the world like an annoyed teenager. "It is truly exasperating to have a mage for a brother, especially when he decides to quit speaking and act like he doesn't know something when he's made it obvious he does," Trey confided in the Earth Rangers.

"Rand just told what he knew," Trini defended the younger prince then blushed when her team looked at her. Jason grinned, finally figuring out who it was that Tommy had referred to Trini having found to love.

"Tell us about this second spell," Jason commanded. "The one that made Tommy the Green Ranger."

And Trey did. As he spoke, telling what little they knew of the Lokorian magic, his words spoke of pain and suffering beyond anything the others had ever experienced. And finally, finished speaking of the spell itself, he explained what this would do to Tommy if he were separated from his Power Coin, how the distance within the palace would be of excruciating pain but not permanently damaging, but any further than that could even kill him.

When Trey finished speaking, silence fell heavy over the room. Jason broke it, saying simply, "I'm glad I listened to him then."

"Lord Zedd has his Power Coin." It was a statement, as none of the gathered Rangers doubted this now.

"So how do we get it back?" Jason asked, looking to the Tefonian prince. He spread his hands and said, "You have a few centuries more experience than I have. I'm open to suggestions."

Next to them, Draco Malfoy commented, "At least you do not have to take it from that Rita."

The Earth Rangers laughed, more from shock than anything. Jason shook his head and said, "Sorry, kid. It's just Rita's the easy one."

"Lord Zedd is a Power greater than Lokor," Rand stated.

"Yeah. Besides, Rita's still around, she works for Zedd." Jason shrugged, nonchalant. "So, Trey. What do you suggest?"

Trey hesitated to speak as his first suggestion would be that Jason not come on the rescue mission. It wasn't anything against Jason's personal skills, it was for Tommy's welfare. Trey didn't know how Tommy would handle the loss of Kim even without adding the possible loss of the only other to hold so much of his heart. His Silver Ranger saved him from answering.

"I would suggest that we start with healing your wounds, Red Dino," Ranger Dyun stated without emotion. "You will be no good in a rescue otherwise." Seeing Jason's eyes narrow, Dyun continued, "I am the healer your Green Ranger called."

Jason nodded. "Alright."

Dyun moved to Jason's side and held his hand out to the younger boy, wanting him to make the first move. Jason immediately placed his hand in the healer's. Once again, the residence of Hogwarts had their breath taken away from them by the flow of Power displayed in the Rangers. They could see Jason's injuries healing, his clothing repairing itself … and when it seemed Jason was healed, something changed. Jason stopped sitting calmly while the other worked and began to pull back, only to stop moving all together as Dyun placed his other hand to the back of his neck. As the Power flow ended, Dyun lowered the Red Dino Ranger's head to rest on the table and turned around to meet three angry Dino Rangers.

"He is sleeping," Dyun told them, matter-of-fact. "I healed him as I said I would."

"Then you put him to sleep," Trini added.

"Then I put him to sleep."

Trey and Rand, who were now standing between the three Dino Rangers and their Silver Ranger, asked of him, "Why?"

Dyun nodded slightly to Rand. "I am taking my prince at his word. Prince Rand said both that their young Green Dragon is a maturing Power and that this child here means almost everything to him. Seeing as we will be informing the boy of his love's death, I thought it best to avoid adding his brother's to the list. -- He will awake in approximately one hundred of your Earth's hours."

"Just over four days," Billy murmured. As third in command, with both Jason and Tommy out of the picture, the next step was in Billy's hands. He was not all that comfortable with leadership but Tommy believed him capable. Billy took a deep breath, let it out, thought about what the others would do. Then he made his own decision. "Stand down."

Trini and Zack immediately moved back, Trini sheathed the dagger the others hadn't realized she had out until she returned it. Billy stepped passed the Tefonian princes and met the Silver Ranger's eyes unflinchingly. In a quiet yet strong voice, he told him, "You did not have the right to make that choice for us. You do not know how we fight, you don't know how we work. You may think we're planning a suicide mission here but we have stood against Lord Zedd's forces for five years, with the dark lord himself here four of them. We have completed hundreds of rescue missions successfully, many times rescuing our Tommy from them. It has been the six of us, the same six of us, these years, and Kim's death last night is the first and only Ranger to have died. No matter what you may think of us personally, our ages, the rumors of our team dynamic, or our world in general, the fact remains that we have stood this long alone. There is not a Ranger team or other force in the multiverse that can say the same no matter how many hundreds of thousands of years old the warriors are, even against threats much less than Lord Zedd of Nim."

A heavy silence fell over the room from the weight of Billy's words. After a moment, he continued, "We are going in, we're retrieving Tommy's Coin and Tommy, and we're all coming back out again. Anyone that doesn't believe that stays here, 'cause I'm not having your hesitation getting someone I care about hurt. We have four days to complete so Jason doesn't kill this man when he awakes." He shook his head. "Only a fool stands between Jason Scot and Tommy Oliver."

Rand was staring at Billy in shock. Trini placed her hand on his arm and he turned to her. "Sorry. I always figured you were their third however I believe I see why he is."

Trini nodded. "Tommy's idea. Jason went with it 'cause he figured we'd never really have the third in charge, let alone fourth and fifth. I'm fourth, Zack's fifth, and as there are … were only six of us, we left it there."

"Trini," Billy asked, "do you know Kim's chosen?"

"Kat Hillard."

"The girl that was all over Tommy?" Zack said, shocked. "Wouldn't have thought Kimmy would choose her."

"Kim forgave her, seeing as it was Rita's spell," Trini reminded.

"Yeah, I know she said that. I don't think her and Tommy's relationship would have survived if she hadn't."

Trini rolled her eyes. "Kim _really_ forgave her, she didn't just say it 'cause of how not forgiving would look to Tommy. She knew it was Rita's spell and of all of us that haven't lived it, she and Jason are the ones to know the most what that means. -- Want me to bring her in? I have the Coin."

Billy nodded. "Tell her what's going on, see if she'll help us get Tommy back."

"Alright. Just know what we're doing when we get here," Trini stated, then teleported out.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Come out, Tommy boy," Zedd said, smirking, as he looked around the otherwise deserted throne room. Finding the cell empty, he'd sent his warriors and soldiers and other personnel throughout the palace hunting Power Rangers but he simply waited for the one he wanted to come to him. The boy had stayed away longer than Zedd would have thought possible with the amount of pain he was in but he'd finally come. That Zedd couldn't see him yet meant nothing. "You're fooling no one, child."

He waited a moment, still no sound, nothing visible, no sign at all that Tommy was near beyond the slight and inexplicable feel in the air Zedd always felt around the child warrior. Standing in the middle of the large room, Zedd called the Green Coin from his pocket dimension and held it up. "Come, child. I know you want this."

A slight hush behind him caused him to turn around and he saw Tommy landing on the ground with a catlike grace, reaching for the Coin even as Zedd sent it away once more. Zedd grabbed the boy's wrist before Tommy could move away, pulled him to him, and had him wrapped in his arms and pinned to his chest. Tommy struggled against his grip but was unable to break free.

"Stop that Tommy or I will be forced to punish you," Zedd spoke in a soft tone. Tommy's struggles immediately ceased. Zedd kept a strong grip on him. "There is something you must see," he said, teleporting them away.

***

Kat wiped the tears from her eyes as Trini finished the explanation. "Kim chose me?" Kat questioned.

"Yes. We all have someone chosen to take our place should we fall. Kim chose you almost as soon as that spell was lifted. Will you take it?"

A flash of green flame to their side went unnoticed by the two girls, where they sat near the lake in Angel Grove park. "I -- Yes, I'll do it."

Trini held out the Pink Power Coin, and Tommy would have fallen had the dark lord not been holding him. Kat took the Coin, the Power filled her, morphed her into Pink Pterodactyl Dino Ranger, and she laughed out loud with joy.

"I know," Trini said, laughing herself. "It's great, isn't it."

"No!" Tommy gasped, finally finding the air to speak. The two girls turned -- and froze seeing Zedd holding Tommy captive. "Kimmy …"

"Tommy," Trini breathed, stepping forward, almost forgetting Zedd in her want to ease Tommy's pain.

Zedd just smirked and teleported them away once more.

"No! Damn you, Zedd, that's not how he needed to find out!" Trini yelled to the sky. Angrily wiping tears from her eyes, Trini turned to Kat. "Power down and I'll teleport us to the others."

"How do I do that?"

"Say Power Down or just think it, whichever works best for you. Most of us do both now."

"Oh. Power Down!" Kat said, and in a flash, she stood once more in her normal clothes, except they were now pink.

"Yeah. It does that the first time," Trini said when Kat looked at her questioningly. "I'd forgotten. It won't really do it again but you'll find yourself buying everything in your color. It's Power." She shrugged and teleported them out.

***

"Good, now that you're back, we can go," Orange Zeo Ranger said as the girls teleported in.

"Bad news," Trini said, ignoring him.

When she didn't continue, Zack guessed, "Monster running rampant in the Grove?"

"Worse."

Billy greeted Kat. "It's obviously not that Kim's chosen didn't join or couldn't join. You'll have to help us out here, Trini."

"Zedd took Tommy down for some show and tell when I handed Kat the Coin," Trini stated. "Tommy … knows."

Silence. After a moment, Trey said, "It is not the best way to learn of this but Tommy is strong. I'm sure there would be worse ways …"

"Oh, they weren't there through the whole tearfully explaining Kim's passing and how Kim chose her for the honor, just for the laughing for the joy of holding it."

"Okay. Maybe there really isn't a worse way to have learned this," Trey corrected softly. Part of him was just glad he wouldn't have to be the one to break the news to Tommy, the rest of him felt guilty for feeling this.

Rand commented, "I'm not sure there's really a better way, either. What is done cannot be undone, let us move onto the part where we can make a difference."

The Rangers prepared to leave but a quiet and strong voice stopped them. "I am coming with you." The Rangers looked to the man who had spoken.

"What is this to you, Earth wizard?" Prince Trey asked.

Zack answered for him. "He's no one. Tommy's uncle by blood but he turned Tommy away years ago. Let's go already."

"You turned Tommy away?" Kat questioned. "How dumb are you?"

"I could not care less what you think of me, child," Severus Snape sneered.

"Oh, you should," Trini stated easily. "'Cause if you want anywhere near Tommy, we're the only way you can get there. And I am referring to more than just the fact you can't go where we're going on your own. Tommy's through with you so the only way you'll get a chance with him is if you have the ones he does listen to siding with you. And the only way that's happening is if you give us a majorly good reason for your betrayal of your own blood."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Snape looked at them a long moment. He started to respond as he usually would to such a demand when it occurred to him how bad an idea that could be. These children had access to other planets, if they chose to do so he would never see them again -- he would never see his nephew again. And it would gain nothing. The boy would risk his life in wars beyond imagining and Snape would never know if he lived or died. Finally he said, "I was protecting him."

The Rangers shared a look. Billy questioned, "And how is it you see betrayal as protection?"

"And please do remember you're talking to warriors here," Trini put in. "We do know a thing or two about such things. Don't feed us a line."

"We are at war, I worked as a spy for the light up until the moment I spoke these words today," Snape sneered. "We are fighting …" he paused, realizing this group would most likely laugh at his people's fear of the dark lord's name and sneer at him calling him that. "We are fighting a man who calls himself Lord Voldemort," he said, and most the witches and wizards of Hogwarts flinched, "a dark lord, and Tommy would have been a target."

Zack smirked. "Well, _that _worked out well." He ducked as Trini and Billy each swatted towards him.

"Can't argue with that. Tommy's always a target," Trini said, shrugging, as she looked to Billy. "We've messed up enough times trying to protect the kid. Never as bad as this man, but still. What do you think?"

Billy thought a moment. "He's a wizards of sorts, his magic might help, being different enough from ours to not be guarded against." When Trini and Zack nodded in agreement, Billy turned and met Snape's eyes. "Understand this. We are in charge. If you're willing to follow us in this you can come but you do what we say. If you get killed up there we either never mention to Tommy you were there or we tell him you came for kicks and never gave a damn about him 'cause Tommy would feel guilty otherwise. Got it?"

"I can take care of myself, child."

"We're going now," Billy responded. "Are you willing to follow or not?"

"I will do what I must for my nephew."

A non-answer, Billy acknowledged silently. "You do something stupid and you're on your own," he lied, knowing he would not willingly leave anyone behind. With that, he took Snape's arm while Trey did the same with Rand. "It's morphin' time!" Billy and Trey gave the command together. As one, the Rangers yelled the Power command and they teleported off.

***

"You bastard," Tommy cried, tears streaming down his face, as he struggled in Zedd's strong grip when they once again appeared in the throne room of the moon palace. Tommy didn't even really notice the changed scenery, didn't see the usual inhabitants once more present in the room. Rita stood on the right of the throne, Goldar and Scorpina on the left, several soldiers filled their places around the walls. "I'll kill you, you _modartha tuili_!"

Zedd actually chuckled at this curse, his people did have a way with them. He wondered if the boy even realized what language he spoke. With a thought, Zedd activated the security around the throne room, a shield he doubted even their Blue Dino Ranger could bypass in a year, teleportation block included. Then, when he was sure Tommy could go nowhere, he released the boy.

Tommy stumbled, finding himself suddenly free of the vice grip, but caught himself without falling. His tear stained gaze locked on Zedd, his eyes narrowed, and he did something the minions of darkness had never seen a warrior of light do. He attacked. Tommy attacked the Lord of Darkness with a fierceness that was frightening to see but still controlled, focused. And Zedd found himself in the odd position of defending himself.

No one in the room dared interrupt the fight. Even if there had been someone that wasn't enthralled by the fight, they were all intent on seeing who would win. After the initial attack, the battle was almost even. Tommy was faster and, odd enough, the one that wanted to kill the other, and he didn't care what happened to himself afterwards. Zedd was stronger, maybe the only one to know more about the martial arts than Tommy, and far more experienced but he didn't want to permanently harm the boy.

***

Billy shook his head. "The causitronic flux is interfering with my sensor relays."

"What?" Kat asked, confused.

"He can't scan for Tommy," Trini translated. "Prince Rand, can you sense him?"

"Feeling Tommy is not the problem, his emotions are actually projecting throughout the entirety of the palace. I could not tell you if the focus was two foot in front of us or the other side of the moon though," Rand admitted.

"What's he feeling?" Purple Ranger asked.

Zack rolled his eyes behind his mask. Sarcastically, he said, "Let's review. He just found out Kim, his soul mate, the love of his life, is dead because of the bastard holding him prisoner. What do you think he's feeling?" He didn't wait for a response. "You guys can't find him with our methods, so how about Mr. Spy here? You have any tricks up your sleeves?"

Severus, ignoring the derisive sneer in the Black Ranger's voice, pulled his wand. Holding it loose in the palm of his hand, he said, "Point me Thomas Snape Uainedragan." The wand turned a complete circle before pointing a direction down the corridor. Snape started walking, the Rangers following after.

"Uainedragan?" Silver Ranger asked of Prince Rand.

Rand didn't say anything for a long moment as they followed the pointing wand down several corridors, heading upwards, which none of them had expected. "Coincidental."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"I will do my best to believe it, my friend. Until irrefutably proven otherwise."

They stopped suddenly, Snape's hand grasping his wand tightly and ending the spell. A force field stood between them and their goal but they hardly noticed, the sight of the battle taking place in the throne room freezing them in place.

"By the Power," Trini, Zack, and Billy swore as one.

"No matter how many millennia I live," Silver Ranger stated softly, "I will never forget this sight on this day. A child standing against the Darkest, and the battle is equal."

Kat barely glanced at the battle, her attention was on the field keeping them out. "If you're done freaking, can you help me find a way to bring this shield down?"

Snape was already trying every spell he could think of to reach his nephew.

"You're not the slightest surprised seeing this, Kat?" Trini breathed, still staring.

Kat shook her head though no one was looking at her to see. "First thing when I moved to town, Tommy saw my dad hit me and he stepped between dad and me, quietly warned him to leave and stay gone. Then dad tried to hit Tommy." Kat laughed softly at the memory. "_**Tried**_. Nothing he's done has ever surprised me since then. He's a natural hero."

"I would agree though Tommy is less than comfortable with the word hero," Billy stated, finally pulling his eyes off the battle to scan the force field. "Tell him that. Maybe if enough of us do, enough times, he'll finally believe it." Trini and Vialn, the White Zeo Ranger, also managed to ignore the battle enough to join him, filling out the science end of the team.

Inside the throne room, Tommy still didn't seem aware of anyone's presence but Zedd's himself, and the dark lord was slowly backing him towards Goldar and Scorpina. Rand breathed in, started to yell out a warning, when Tommy suddenly sidestepped to Goldar's side and drew the Titanian warrior's sword from it's sheath in one smooth motion, stepping away and attacking Zedd once again with the blade. Zedd blocked the attack with his command staff, but he was now backing up, at an obvious disadvantage.

Zedd decided he couldn't avoid hurting the boy any longer, and let Power build around him, threw a ball of power at Tommy. Tommy threw Goldar's sword before him in a block, and the power ball deflected off of it, the fire magic of the sword flaring in response.

"I thought only Goldar could control the blade's magic," Zack breathed, his eyes still glued to the battle.

"It's magic is said to be tied to Goldar's life force however it is an emotional connection. If anyone else could control it, it would be an empath such as Tommy," Silver Ranger stated.

Zedd kept throwing power at Tommy which he blocked expertly but it did stop his forward momentum -- he was slowly backing up towards where the Rangers were trying to enter the room.

"Damn-it!" Zack swore. "Blue Boy, get this damned shield down!"

At the same moment Zack spoke, Billy, Trini, and White Ranger held their hands out to the shield, concentrated on the pattern they'd decided upon … and the shield flared with power, throwing them all back into the opposite side of the corridor.

By the time they were standing again, Zedd had Tommy pinned against the shield, his whole body pressing into the younger warrior, Tommy's feet were several inches off the ground. Zedd's clawed grasp squeezed the wrist of the hand holding the sword, stretched out to the full extent of Tommy's reach. "Let it go, Tommy," Zedd ordered quietly.

Tommy kept a death's grip on the blade as he tried to struggle loose from the much stronger man. The only thing he managed was to have Zedd lean into him even harder. In a harsh whisper, Tommy swore, "I will _**never**_let a blade fall. Especially not to _**you**_."

On the other side of the enclosure, the Rangers waited with bated breath for Zedd's reaction. It would be nothing, they knew, for the dark lord to crush Tommy's wrist, forcing him to drop the blade, leaving him even less able to defend himself than if he let it fall. There was nothing they could do to help him. And they truly didn't understand what was behind his defiance at this point.

Zedd surprised them all. He laughed. "My little warrior," he breathed, then called out, "Goldar! Come claim your sword!"

Goldar ran over and took the sword from Tommy's hand, and Tommy relinquished it to him. Zedd stopped him as he started to return to his place. "And Goldar. If you lose your blade again it shall be returned through your heart."

"Yes my lord," Goldar said, bowing. He quickly returned to Scorpina's side.

Zedd kept a strong grip on the boy's wrists but started to move back, easing the pressure against his whole body. Tommy immediately began fighting him and Zedd spun him around, pinning him to his chest, controlling his upper body. To control the boy's legs, Zedd ended up sat on the ground, forcing Tommy to his knees, and pinned the boy's legs in place between his own.

"Stop fighting me, Tommy," Zedd hissed, "or you'll make me have to hurt you."

Tommy laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. "Hurt me?! What do you think you could do to hurt me any more, Zedd?" he demanded. "Kimmy's gone. You killed her." But Tommy quit struggling, seeming almost to sag in the man's strong grip.

Zedd waited a moment, then stood, pulling Tommy with him. When Tommy didn't start fighting again, he loosened his grip slightly. The moment the grip slackened, Tommy fought free -- almost. Zedd's clawed hands clasped tightly around the boy's wrists, the older sorcerer used this physical connection to send a jab of power stabbing into him. Tommy gasped in pain and had to concentrate to keep from collapsing.

"Thomas!" Severus called out, unthinking, as Tommy's pain lashed out at all nearby.

Zedd turned at this somehow familiar voice, pulling Tommy into his arms again as he did so, almost tenderly cradling the now too weak to fight teen. Meeting the dark haired, pale skinned man's eyes, Zedd felt a flash of recognition. "Thomas," Zedd murmured, repeating the man's word. He glanced down at the child in his arms. "Tommy? Who is this man to you?" Tommy didn't respond, but that wasn't unexpected. "Your name, Tommy, is a … what do Earthings call it? It is like you calling Jason by Jas? Tommy is like this with Thomas?"

When Tommy still didn't respond, Zedd stated softly, meant for Tommy's ears alone but heard by all those on the other side of the shield wall, "Answer clearly both questions and I will immediately hand your Power Coin back to you and I will not take it from you again, now or in the future. Nor will anyone under my command. I swear by Power, Honor, and Blood to you alone."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Tommy responded, "If you're swearing that, there's probably a billion reasons I'll regret you knowing those answers." But surely not as much as he'd regret leaving the Green Coin in Zedd's possession. "He's my uncle by blood, Severus Snape. And, yes, my name is Thomas."

Zedd called the Green Dragon Coin from his pocket dimension and handed it back to the young Ranger, fulfilling his oath. He also released his grip on the boy, who immediately moved back from him, backed into the shield wall, using the force field as support to hold himself upright. Zedd looked at him a moment in silence, unsure what to think of this. Finally he said, "You do know Kim was cheating on you with another boy that calls himself your friend."

"She never cheated on anything," Tommy disputed quietly yet somehow over the loud protests of the other Rangers.

"She was with another boy when she claimed to love you."

Tommy tried to figure out why that would even matter to Zedd. Unable to make sense of it, he decided to give a bit of information and see if Zedd's response made better sense. "I know she was dating another."

A shocked and heavy silence fell throughout the gatherings. Zedd shook his head in confusion, a rare sight in itself, and said, "Yet you were still with her, her death still hurts you?"

Tommy looked at the man, his worst enemy, and smiled softly. "I love her completely and, one advantage to being an empath, I _**know**_ she loves me. I _**know**_ her love for me is stronger than her feelings for anyone else. But Kimmy's not an empath. Her own emotions confused her. So when she came to me crying because she felt attracted to another, I could have told her that her feelings for me were the strongest but I didn't. That's something each person has to find on their own. Instead, I gave her my blessing to see him so she could find her own answer and not have to face the doubt later on. So yes, I was still with her, Adam and I both knew that. And even if she'd chosen Adam over me, I would still love her and her death would still hurt. That's what unconditional love is."

Zedd looked at him a long moment, thinking on that. He hadn't loved like that, he knew. In a large way, he'd been responsible for his wife's death. He'd blamed her for the loss of his son, taken while he'd been taking care of Empire business. He knew it was this reaction on his part that led her to the path of her death in which his greatest regret had been she'd still failed to find his boy whom he never truly gave up on finding. It was part of the reason he was even in this little system now. Then he'd met Tommy Oliver, the Green Dragon Ranger whom Rita tried to control, whom was beyond her powers to truly touch. This child that could, without Ranger Powers, best the best of the Power Rangers. This child whose sense of honor was as strong and defined as anyone Zedd had ever known, yet seemingly self defined. Tommy Oliver, who lived alone without any of his teammates realizing it, had no past, made his way in a style of his own design. This child with the strength and fortitude to stand up to Zedd himself, that seemed to just naturally know the Warrior's Code, Honor's Path. Zedd felt a connection to the boy immediately, determined to make him his despite the fact the boy completely despised him. To Zedd, Tommy was a son. And now this. Well, maybe he did love that way once. "Thomas Snape Uainedragan," Zedd softly sighed, and Tommy looked up sharply.

Zedd saw dawning understanding in the boy's eyes, followed by sharp denial. Zedd waved his hand and the force field disappeared, Tommy fell back into his uncle's arms. "Ask your allies my name, Tommy, if you're brave enough to face the truth. -- Take him back, now, before I change my mind."

Severus didn't hesitate to lift Tommy's tired and beaten body into his arms and lead the way out again. Tommy surprisingly didn't object to this. Right before the teleport point, Tommy softly said to Prince Rand, "His name, it's Lord Zedd Uainedragan, isn't it?"

Rand hesitated to answer, then just as softly said, "It is."

"He's not dead," he breathed, almost to himself.

Severus said, "He does not look like your father."

"Sorcerer's form," Tommy and Rand responded as one. Tommy continued, "Haven't seen him outside that form."

"I thought he died with your mother."

Tommy didn't respond to this. He just shut his eyes and leaned his head on Severus's shoulder. They finally stepped out to the teleportation point and the Rangers returned them to Hogwarts.

***

Jason was on his feet and glaring fire at the Silver Ranger almost before the group appeared. "How _dare_ you! You had no right to …"

Tommy slipped loose of Severus's hold and stepped towards them. "Jas."

Jason immediately turned to Tommy, everyone else forgotten. He held his hand out to the other boy but made no move to close the distance. He knew how Tommy reacted in captivity … and the things that went along with it. Tommy quickly closed the distance and threw his arms around Jason, burying his head in Jason's shoulder. Jason held him tightly in return.

"He's not dead," Tommy said in a pained whisper. "He's not dead and Kimmy is."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jason held Tommy tightly, giving him whatever comfort he needed. "Who's not dead?" he questioned.

"He speaks of …" Silver Ranger began but Jason cut him off.

"Prince Trey, you should inform your Silver Ranger that he has nothing to say which I or any of my people wish to hear. No matter how good his intentions might have been, he stepped between me and my brother when my brother needed me and that is not acceptable. That Tommy is safe with me is the only reason your man is still breathing however if he was to do anything of the sort again it will not matter how it turns out, he will be dead. By the Power, on my Honor and Life, I so swear."

Trey turned to his Silver Ranger. "Return to the ship."

When the Silver Ranger was gone, Jason once again concentrated completely upon Tommy. "I'm sorry about Kim. I'll miss my sister but I know she's so much more to you." He paused. "Who is not dead?"

"Don't leave me," Tommy breathed.

"Never," Jason swore. "Nothing could ever make me turn from you, Tommy."

Trini stepped forward and laid a hand on Tommy's shoulder. "You're a part of us, Tommy. That will never change."

Billy agreed. "We know you, Tommy. You're our brother, our teammate, the best part of us. We would never turn from you. We most definitely would not turn from you over something beyond your control."

"Face it, Greenman, you're stuck with us," Zack said, earning a small smile from Tommy in response.

"Please bro," Jason said. "Who are you talking about? Who's not dead?"

Tommy pulled away from him, took a step back from them all. Distancing himself. "My father. He's … Severus said he was dead, that he died with mother. But he's not."

Jason frowned slightly in confusion. "And this connects with you being held …" He stopped abruptly. "It's Zedd? He's Uainedragan?"

Rand said, "Uainedragan in the Nimian language means Green Dragon. The royal family took on the name Uainedragan when they first claimed the Green Dragon Powers as their own, somewhere over five hundred generations back."

Jason paled. "Powers! He knows this?"

Trini said, "He appeared to just figure it out."

"This will change things," Jason said, thinking out loud. Tommy flinched slightly at his words and he hurried to assure, "It doesn't change a thing with us. I meant it when I said nothing can. You're my brother. This team is our family and nothing will break us apart." He smiled as the younger boy relaxed. "It does, however, change the war. And I have no idea how it'll change that. Zedd as a father … I can't see it."

"Me either," Tommy said.

Jason turned to Prince Trey. "Where do you stand, Gold Ranger?"

"Where I always have," Trey assured. "Rand and I owe Tommy our allegiance but even more than that, you are all our friends. Knowing the genetics does not change any other known facts."

Tommy asked him, "Does knowing the genetics give you any idea on what he might do now?"

Rand said, "I wouldn't have thought he would let you go as he did. I believe it is safe to say we are firmly in unknown territory."

"We need to figure some things out," Jason said. "With the Command Centre gone …"

"I have my people searching for any sign on Zordon," Prince Trey said. "However with the damage, it is unlikely that he could have survived, even with having been partly within another dimension. We brought the command ship my father promised. I'm sure you wish your full team to have access, Tommy?"

"Yes," Tommy said.

Trini said, "Our identities are known in the Grove now. Kat said they were reported after … that battle. Someone caught it on tape. They've kept it local but everyone in town knows now."

"The ship gives us a safe place. We can all live aboard it if you want," Tommy offered.

"Or you could stay here," Severus said. When Tommy turned to him in surprise, he continued, "You belong here, Thomas. I was trying to protect you from our war but I should never have sent you off alone."

Tommy stared at him in silence for a long moment. "What's with this? You were the best uncle ever then you threw me away and now you want me here? My parents loved me and gave me everything I could want but then they were killed. Now my father's not dead, he's just the man that's been trying to destroy everything I care about. And when he called my his 'little prince' apparently he meant it literally 'cause he is the freaking Emperor of a regime of worlds! That man that used to finger paint with me, that would lay on the floor beside me and color with me, he's the most feared man in the 'verse! Now you tell me … You told me you didn't want me, that it was just better if I went away. I was a child! Too young to … I survived the only way I could, I had to do things that no one should ever have to do because you turned me away. You left me alone in this world that isn't made for children to be able to survive on their own. But I did it, I survived. It cost me … There were times I wished I could just give up and die rather than do what was necessary to survive, there's times now I wish I was dead rather than living with those memories. Now you tell me you were trying to protect me? _What the hell is left of me to protect?!_"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

A heavy silence fell through the Great Hall, Severus had no idea how to respond to his nephew, the students were in shock over someone yelling in Professor Snape's face and by what he was saying. The Rangers worried for their youngest.

Tommy stepped away from the other Rangers, into his uncle's face. "When you were 'protecting' me, did you stop for one damned second to think about what I would have to do to survive your 'protection'? Did you ever wonder what kids thrown out on the streets alone did to be able to eat? I tried to just find what others threw away. When that wasn't enough, I tried stealing, the food itself or money to buy it. Fought or ran from those that wanted something else. But it doesn't matter. Eventually ya gotta sleep and there's nowhere safe. You're a kid on the streets no one gives a damn about you. You refuse to whore yourself it doesn't matter, someone'll take it from you eventually. Then it don't matter anymore, you do what you have to do 'cause there's nothing left of you to protect anymore. You say you were trying to protect me, Severus. You believe that, you're the world's biggest fool."

"In a way, Tommy, I am glad your uncle was such a fool," Billy said, and everyone stared at him in shock. Billy met Tommy's eyes and explained, "If he had not been so idiotic, you would not have come to the Grove and drawn Rita's attention, she would not have made you the Green Ranger, and we would not have met. You would not be part of the Power Rangers, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet the most amazing man ever. Most likely, all five of us would have died by now as it is your knowledge and experience that has led us through all obstacles. It was your belief in us that led each one of us to be able to conquer our greatest fears each time they were exploited, and it was your strength of will that kept us all going each time we just wanted to give up, fate of the world be damned."

"Powers, Blue Boy," Tommy said, a slight laugh in his tone. "Whatever happened to our shy boy genius that hid behind his techno babble."

Billy grinned. "Our dark and brooding Greenman kicked his ass for thinking he was less than the others and made him more than he ever was before. About the same time I convinced that same Greenman he could trust me. That you were safe with me," he continued more seriously. "That I would do everything in my power to protect you from any kind of pain. Not that I'd always succeed but that I'd do my best. You still trust me like that?"

Just as serious, Tommy said, "You know I do."

Billy smiled, took Tommy's hand in his. "Keeping that in mind, I think he's being honest. I think he was an idiot and his stupidity caused you more pain than anyone should ever face. I don't think that he could ever do anything to make that failing up to you, it's entirely un…" he paused, thought a moment, settled on, "unrepentable. Unforgettable. But not unforgivable. I think he really was trying to protect you in his own twisted, ignorant and idiotic way and I think your words convicted him. For that reason, I think you will forgive him in time, if you give yourself the chance. I think you want to forgive him. You love him. If you didn't, you wouldn't have bothered to tell him off. For those reasons, Tommy, I think we should all stay here."

Tommy looked from Billy to Severus and back. "I … It's not just my choice anyway. We're the Power Rangers, we have a …"

"If you say duty, I will kick your ass," Billy broke in.

"Responsibility," Tommy drawled, "to this world and it's defense. You can _try_, Blue Boy."

"I might surprise ya. After all, I learned from the best."

Tommy grinned. "You definitely surprised me, bro. Jas?"

Jason said, "I agree with our Blue Boy, though I _am_ wondering if we should check him to make sure he's not a clone, robot, alien shape shifter or under some sort of sarcasm spell." He turned to Billy. "Unrepentable? Is that even a word?"

Billy shrugged. "It should be. It's not my fault the languages of this world are so unimaginative. Zedd isn't into cloning so you're safe there. We took down the machine empire, so no more robots. I guess you'll just have to check that shape shifter theory of yours yourself, Jas. As for the spell, I don't believe even Zedd would be brave enough to place a sarcasm spell on any of us. That's just too scary to imagine."

Trini smiled. "Our Blue Boy's all grown up." Then seriously, "He's right though. I'm cool with staying here and you deserve every chance at happiness, Greenman. 'Course if this uncle of yours hurts you again, I have nothing against pretending he's a putty and breaking him into little pieces."

"I agree. It'll be jammin'," Zack put in. "The staying here part'll be jammin', the breaking him into little pieces part's a little freaky but I'm all for it if he hurts you again. We've been to alien worlds and alternate dimensions and this is still the first I've seen of this side of our world. I'm not in a hurry to jet. Don't make a difference in our work. We can 'port from here to kick Z--" He broke off, decided it might be better to see how Tommy handled the whole Zedd as his father thing before making too many comments on him. "We can 'port from here as easy as from anywhere else."

Tommy smirked at Zack's cautious wording. He turned to Kat. "Your opinion, Kat?"

She looked surprised. "I didn't think you'd … I mean, you can't be happy I'm here."

"I can't stand the reason you were needed," Tommy agreed. "But I am glad you accepted. We need a Pink on the team, if it can't be Kim, I'm glad it's you."

"But … I tried to break the two of you up."

Tommy smirked. "Kat, I tried to kill the team and while I didn't kill any of them a lot of people died in those battles. You tried to break me and Kim up and didn't cause anyone any permanent harm. I think I've got you beat on the 'terrible actions under evil spell' category."

Kat giggled. Tommy held his hand out to her and asked, "Can I see your Power Coin?"

"How do I do that when I'm not wanting to morph?" she asked.

"Just want it in your hand. Or, uh, just agree that I can see it and hold your hand out to me like you're holding it."

She didn't look convinced but she held her hand out and told him, "Sure Tommy, you can see the invisible coin I'm not holdin-- Oh my God!" she exclaimed when the Coin was suddenly there.

Tommy smiled at that. "It's magic, cher." He didn't take the Coin from her. Instead, he opened her fingers to reveal the Coin then placed his hand above hers, not quite touching. Kat stared at him in shock and amazement as a memory not her own played through her head.

_Tommy sat in the Command Centre with Kim, they'd been talking for awhile. 'I get why we need a second,' Kim told Tommy. 'I just don't get how to choose one. Who did you choose?'_

'_Skull.'_

'_Skull?! Are you insane?'_

'_I know you have bad memories of him, love, but you know he's been cool ever since he found out who we are,' Tommy responded. 'And he's worked hard with that safety squad of his. You've gotta admit, we haven't had near as much trouble with civilians getting caught in the line of fire since he got the department to set up the evac plans he came up with. He's my student now, I know he can fight and that he's making the right decisions on what to fight for now.'_

_Kim pouted. 'Yeah, I know you're right. It just sounds weird to me, Skull a Power Ranger. I guess … it's easier to laugh at that than to imagine you … not here anymore.'_

_Tommy lifted her hand and laid a kiss on it. 'I know. It hurts to even think of you needing a second, too. I think you know who you want.'_

_Kim bit her lip. 'Katherine Hillard,' she finally admitted. 'I know you don't …'_

'_I don't dislike her, Kimmy. I didn't like her actions under the spell, that wasn't her.'_

'_Yeah. You wouldn't blame someone else for that, would you. Just yourself.' Kim kissed his cheek. 'She kinda reminds me of you somehow. I don't mean the whole met her while she was under the control of a spell thing either. It's more … I think she comes from the same things, those past pains that made you stronger. And she is __**so **__a Pink Spirit.'_

The memory ended and Tommy pulled his hand away. "Send it back," he softly ordered.

Kat did so. "What was that?"

"You are now the Pink Pterodactyl Dino Ranger," Tommy said. "Like Kim before you and a million others before her. These Coins aren't weapons, they're historians. The life experience, memories of everyone that has ever held that Power is recorded within it. That's why you'll find you're a more knowledgeable fighter when morphed than when not, how we all knew immediately how to control our Zords. That means that so long as that Power remains active, there's a part of Kimmy that isn't dead. And because you knew her, because you like and respect her, that part is larger, clearer in you. So I'm really glad you accepted the Power. I'm glad you're here for those reasons and because you have always been my friend. I would hate for anything to change that, let alone something like you becoming part of the family."

Kat smiled. "I have a family now." She nodded. "I think we should stay here. If Billy's right about what you want then we should stay."

Tommy nodded. "I guess…" He took a deep breath, said, "I guess we'll try this."

"In that case," Headmaster Dumbledore said, "Minerva, could you bring the sorting hat? We need to find our newest students' houses. You are welcome to join your age mates years."

"We'll go with the same grade as Tommy," Jason said. "He knows more of this world's magic than any of us."

Prince Trey advised, "My Rangers, Rand and I will return to my command ship. We will stay in system and keep full scans for any attacks upon your world. That way you may all concentrate on your …" he glanced at Severus, "lessons."

Professor McGonagall returned with the sorting hat and a stool. She also had a scroll with their names and she started, "Cranston, William."

"Billy," he corrected as he took the seat and allowed her to place the hat on his head.

'My my my,' a voice sounded through Billy's head. 'You have a most amazing mind, a great thirst for knowledge. You would fit well in Ravenclaw but there is another part of you that yearns to prove yourself. A truly cunning mind as well. Great bravery. And loyal. So loyal. This is a challenge. Any House should be honored to have you but you will find your greatest lessons within …'


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The hat called out, "Slytherin!" Amidst the usual clapping, Billy removed the hat and walked back over to the Slytherin table where the Rangers were still gathered.

"Hillard, Katherine," Professor McGonagall called and the new Pink Ranger hesitantly approached.

Tommy smirked. "That _was_ surprising. I would've bet on Ravenclaw. They're supposed to be the ones that strive for knowledge."

"The hat said something about that," Billy said. "It also said I'm cunning, brave and loyal, leading one to the assumption those are the primary aspects of the other three houses."

"Cunning to Slytherin, brave to Gryffindor and loyal to Hufflepuff. Though if society is so easily divided between those four aspects, this world's got bigger problems than 50' monsters rampaging down it's streets," Tommy said.

The hat barely touched Kat's head when it called out, "Hufflepuff!"

"Some are more easily placed that others," Billy commented as Kat rejoined them. She completely ignored the professor and the students trying to convince her to go to the Hufflepuff table. He smiled at Kat. "It _is_ good to know that loyalty is a prime factor to our new teammate that we know next to nothing about."

Professor McGonagall huffed in annoyance but called the next name, "Kwan, Trini."

Kat smiled sweetly. "I know everything about you guys that's ever been on the news or printed."

Tommy laughed. "So you know the full scoop of slander and libel along with every crazy theory out there."

"Exactly," Kat agreed, laughing. "We all need to get to know each other."

The hat called out, "Ravenclaw!" Trini removed the hat and walked back to the Slytherin table.

"Scot, Jason."

"Gryffindor!"

"Taylor, Zachary."

"Gryffindor!"

As Jason and Zack also simply returned to the Slytherin table, Severus asked of them, "Have we wasted our time with this sorting? You all mean to stay within my house?"

"Uainedragan, Thomas."

"To a point," Jason said. "We stay where Tommy stays."

Tommy ignored as McGonagall called his name again. He told his uncle, "We're a team, a family. We stick together and watch out for each other." He turned to Jason. "To the exclusion of all others sometimes. What Kat said really points it out, we all met her and she's known about us being the Rangers almost since that first day. We _should_ know her well by now. If we're all staying here we should take advantage of that and stop being so … distant. We will all stay in our individual houses, interact with and get to know the people around us." He started towards the sorting hat but stopped when Jason spoke.

"Our exclusivity is part of what makes us an unbreakable team," Jason argued, not wanting to touch on the real reason they'd all distanced themselves from everyone else.

"Mr. Uainedragan," McGonagall called again, clearly annoyed. "Will you get up here?"

Tommy turned back towards Jason. "The Command Centre's destroyed. Alpha's gone. Zordon's missing and most likely dead. Even if he's still alive somewhere, he's outside our ability to reach him. Kim…" he choked on her name, tried again. "Kimberly's dead. You all came the closest you've ever been to dying yourselves. We're not unbreakable Jason. We were shattered this week."

Tommy finally made his way to the sorting hat. Jason motioned to Zack and the two made their way to the Gryffindor table while Trini joined Ravenclaw. Kat frowned in confusion. "Billy?"

"We're doing what Tommy said," Billy explained.

"I don't get it. Jason's the leader, right?" she asked.

Billy smiled. "Officially and traditionally, the holder of the Red Tyrannosaurus Dino Power leads the Dino Rangers. We follow that to a point. The Red Ranger deals with the media, the police, hospitals, that type of thing. The Red Ranger often appears to be in command through battles but that's more because Jason's heads on style of fighting while Tommy stays in the shadows. More often than not, whatever plan we're fighting by is Tommy's. Training is Tommy's end. Most the time it at least appears that Tommy and Jason agree on ideas. If you ever hear them disagree, it's a safe bet we'll end up following Tommy's words."

Kat grinned. "So Tommy's our unofficial leader."

"Exactly," Billy agreed. "You should go to your table, Kat, grab a bite. There's no telling how long that hat of theirs will take to decide which of four major points in Tommy's personality it thinks strongest."

"Slytherin!"

"Or it could be done before you know it," Billy added.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The next morning saw Severus Snape escorting the six Power Rangers to Diagon Alley for their school supplies. He'd suggested portkey, the teenagers decided on teleportation. Arriving, Severus decided their teleportation was quite a bit easier on a person than apperation, portkey or even flue, something he hadn't noticed the first time in the worry for his nephew.

They were a colorful group, Snape noted. Despite the fact they'd been sorted into the four houses, they each refused to wear the usual black robes with their house shield but instead wore robes in their Ranger colors. The teenagers had looked shocked and disgusted at the thought of wearing the common school uniform, Albus had immediately stated they were welcome to wear their colors. Albus also supplied the money for this trip from his own vault. Severus had a feeling there was something he was missing in that but he wasn't quite ready to try questioning his nephew. Without asking any questions, Severus was sure of one thing. Ranger magic was quite a bit different than wizardry. Enough different he wasn't sure how well they would take to the change.

They'd teleported in near the front of Gringotts Bank so Severus headed west to Ollivander's. They might as well start with wands. After all, if they couldn't work with a wand, most the supplies would be useless to them.

The Rangers were mostly following Snape in silence, their eyes taking in the sights around them. Kat noticed the sign over the shop, 'Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.'

"I didn't think anything on this world lasted that long," she commented as they followed Snape inside.

"Whoa!" Zack said as he got his first look inside. The place was floor to ceiling with thousands of little boxes, he couldn't tell if there were walls or shelves or anything else behind the boxes, there were so many. "Don't look like they've straightened the place out since they opened."

Tommy smirked, commented, "It's a hundred times better than Rita's storage rooms. You wouldn't want to see that, trust me. Bits and pieces of broken weaponry and defeated creations, some of that rots, and I don't think she threw out anything in the last 10,000 years."

Zack, Jason, and Billy laughed at this. Trini looked like the thought disgusted her while Kat just looked confused. Kat quietly asked Trini, "Is he joking about the evil Green Ranger days? I can't imagine joking about something like that. I'd just want to forget it all."

"No," Trini said. "I'm sure he's completely serious. -- Tommy's … different. He has this major guilt issue around that time even though we've come a long ways towards convincing him of his innocence. But guilty or innocent, he refuses to forget a thing about it. What he learned of our enemies while among them is indispensable. Even something like that, I can't see what advantage knowing that could possibly give but I've seen Tommy save us with something just as obscure. Knowledge is power. Combined with Tommy's tactically inclined mind, knowledge is monumental power."

"Ah, Mr. Uainedragan," an elderly man said as he appeared before them from behind the stacked boxes. "I was wondering when you would return to our world. I missed you when you turned eleven, it would have broke your mother's heart. A kind girl, willow, 9 ¾", swishy, unicorn hair. Never sold a wand to your father, never saw him with a wand. Strange man he was."

Tommy sighed softly. "Mr. Ollivander, could we skip the history lessons and just get our wands?"

"Six wands?" he questioned, taking in each of the teenagers.

"On the Headmaster's account," Snape drawled, handing Ollivander a scroll.

Ollivander started pulling out wands, sticking them in different hands to differing results. The wands reacted to each of the Rangers though, so they would all be able to learn wand magic. Kat's was found first, 10 ½" willow with a phoenix tail feather. Then Trini's was 9 ½" mahogany with griffin hairs. Zack found an 11" hawthorn with a drop of lion blood. A 12 ¼" oak wand cored with dragon's blood became Jason's while Billy found 10 ¾" elm with unicorn hair core. Which left only Tommy.

Tommy eventually grew bored of waiting for Ollivander to find his wand for him so instead of waiting when Ollivander ran to the back for more, Tommy wondered into the stacks of wand boxes.

"Mr. Uainedragan?" Ollivander called when he returned from the back, his arms full of wand boxes.

"That one," Tommy pointed at a box that was unique in it was locked in a clear case separate from all others. Ollivander saw where Tommy pointed and dropped his boxes in shock.

"It can't be," Ollivander breathed as he approached the lock case almost reverently. He unlocked the case, removed the box and offered it to Tommy. It was obvious when Tommy touched the wand it was made for him. "My grandfather made that wand, it is the last wand he ever made and he imbued it with power just to see if it was possible. It was too much for anyone to handle, many died from touching it so we locked it in this case. It is woven of ash and yew wood, cored with phoenix tears, a phoenix tail feather, dragon fang, and basilisk venom. It is powerful beyond the mortal coil. Who are you, child? How can you possibly carry such power within you as to match this wand?"

Tommy offered the man a small smile but didn't try to respond to those words. "Thank you, Mr. Ollivander," he softly said. "We have to be going now."

As they walked out, Tommy flashed his wand away, storing it in the same pocket dimension as his Ranger weaponry. The other Rangers quickly copied him.

Snape led them passed Gringotts again to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Madam Malkin greeted them as they entered. She was a squat witch with a friendly demeanor.

"We need complete wardrobes," Tommy said for them all. "Most our stuff's been destroyed recently." All of his when the Command Centre imploded. The original Rangers didn't have much that would fit in the wizardry world and they had lost a lot from it being destroyed in battles. Kat also didn't have wizardry clothing and what she did have wasn't pink.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Madam Malkin asked in a low voice, glancing around like she thought even this would draw him to her. Most the wizardry world listened to the Daily Prophet's version of events and refused to believe him returned. Madam Malkin however trusted Dumbledore.

"No. My father," he answered truthfully as her tape measurer took his measurements. The other Rangers almost choked on this. It was true of course but they couldn't believe he said so, let alone said it so casually. "We need everything to match the colors we are currently wearing."

"Not Hogwarts robes?"

"Sorta."

She didn't ask anymore questions, just finished the measurements on them all. Severus said, "Send the wardrobes to Hogwarts when completed and place the bill on the Headmaster's account."

They went to Flourish and Blotts next then the stationery store, picked up a few miscellaneous items at shops in between and finally ended at the Apothecary.

Billy smirked as he saw one of the pre-made potions. "You know, Tommy, that looks suspiciously like what you made to take out Nimrod."

Jason picked up another. "And this looks and smells just like that 'cure' you brought when the delegates from Switzerland were poisoned."

"That's 'cause they are," Tommy responded easily enough. "You ever regret turning down that chance, bro?"

"The Peace Summit?" Jason returned. "No. It would've been cool I guess but I'm more into action."

Giggling, Trini pointed out, "Remember what Bradley said when he took the offer? He was joining the Peace Summit to 'save the world'. I think we do that much more as Rangers."

"You like potions then, Tommy?" Severus questioned softly.

Tommy didn't respond immediately. He gathered quite a bit more than was necessary for fifth year potions classes though. "They have their uses," he finally said. "I do what I must for the team."

Billy pointed out, "You 'do what you must' with those potions as I do with my inventions, Tommy. Did you learn that from your uncle?"

"I was four years old. I learned most everything on my own," Tommy stated, a hint of anger and pain in his tone. After a slight pause he softly admitted, "I learned to love potions from him." He stalked out the door. Severus started to follow his nephew but Billy stopped him.

"He does that," Billy stated. "Just give him time. This is hard for him, you know."

"I know," Snape said. It had to be hard for the boy. It was certainly hard for Severus.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

All was quiet within the moon palace. Since the day Lord Zedd realized Tommy Oliver was in fact his long lost son Thomas Snape Uainedragan, everyone had been walking on eggshells, fearful of the Dark Lord's reaction. Rita especially had taken care to not draw any attention to herself. She hid within her rooms, praying that Zedd didn't think of her, didn't think about what all she'd done to the young Green Ranger.

She and Zedd had always been on opposite sides of the control spell debate. Zedd was of the view that whatever small victories were achieved through the use of controlled warriors were of no importance when figured next to the losses piled upon them when those warriors were eventually freed of the control. Rita's view had always been that the number of controlled warriors that were freed were so low as to be of no importance. The debate had raged for thousands of years before either one of them were born. When Lord Zedd became emperor he strongly discouraged the use of control spells but he didn't outlaw them. Then Rita found Tommy Oliver, a young child of an underdeveloped world, and within days of placing him under her control, his accomplishments were legendary among the whole empire. Rita's own standing within the empire grew stronger with each victory the child achieved. It was the greatest boon to the pro-control spell side they could ever hope to receive. That is, it was up until the moment the Earth Rangers managed to break the spell and free the young Green Ranger. Rita's standing drastically reduced with the loss of her controlled Green Ranger. Quicker even than his original legend spread was the story of his vengeance when freed. For every victory he'd brought her, he delivered to her even greater defeat. And he continued to do so with every single encounter. This child soon became the greatest enemy of the empire in existence. Every time the child defeated any of their forces it was yet another blow against her side of the control spell debate. A debate that was all but closed when Lord Zedd's reaction to the loss of the Green Ranger was to outlaw control spells and set the punishment for if one did use such a spell as a Traitor's Death.

Each time Lord Zedd tried to convince the child to join him and was turned down, Zedd blamed her and that control spell. And now to discover the child she tried to control was their missing prince… No, she would stay within these rooms, stay out of sight of her Lord and simply hope to be forgotten.

Finster stayed within his labs, taking this amazing off time to clean and straighten his workspace. He'd always had a soft spot for the young Green Ranger for he remembered well the kindness the child showed him both while under Rita's control and on the numerous times he'd been captured. Kindness in either situation was an oddity. The control spell tended to bring out all aggressive tendencies with little regard to whom they were facing and being held prisoner rarely brought out any form of kindness no matter who you were. He wondered how Tommy was taking this new knowledge. He hoped that discovering his heritage would bring the young prince back to them for Finster felt Tommy Oliver would make a good emperor.

Goldar and Scorpina took advantage of the down time to spend more time with each other. The war had been long and hard on them all, as they'd never imagined possible from a world so underdeveloped. This assignment that they had originally thought would be a career killer turned out to be the greatest boon to their reputations possible. First with their continued survival against the now infamous Green Dragon Ranger then with Lord Zedd taking a personal interest in the place, their names were known far and wide. When they left this assignment they would be able to go wherever they wanted within the empire. Their greatest wish however was to simply remain serving directly under their Lord and Emperor even if it meant serving under a much younger warrior that they once commanded. Tommy, their missing prince. It was hard to believe yet at the same time it made perfect sense. Tommy Oliver was one of the strongest warriors they'd ever seen, as would be expected of the son of Lord Zedd.

Within the heart of the moon palace, on his private floor, within a secreted chamber that not even the cleaning staff could enter, Lord Zedd of Nim sat upon his bed, his sorcerer's form dropped to show a strong and handsome man, equal of appearance to a human in their twenties. He had a deep tanned complexion, long wavy black hair, and deep green eyes which were currently locked on a simple wizardry photo album open before him. The first pages he flipped through quickly. They showed his and Brigid's wedding followed by several pages of Brigid's pregnancy. Finally he reached his son. The very first picture of Thomas Snape Uainedragan was taken only moments after his birth and it showed the young prince resting in his father's arms, silently taking in the world around him. He didn't cry, Zedd remembered clearly. He never cried.

In the photo, the baby's eyes locked with his father's and the picture of Zedd seemed to beam with joy -- a joy the current Zedd could barely remember now. That was the main difference between the photo record of him at his son's birth from his current looks. Nimians didn't change much physically once they reached developmental maturity, a stage his son was not far off from now. At seventy thousand years old, the short time his son had been alive was barely a blink of an eye yet those years without his child were the longest period of his life.

His son actually looked a lot like him, so much so that Zedd could hardly believe it took him so long to figure it out. The boy's hair had the same texture, the color a blend of his black and Brigid's auburn hair. Tommy had the fairer skin tone of his mother, the height and build of his father. His eyes … they were different. In that first picture of the young prince, they showed the same deep green as Zedd's yet the next picture over showed Brigid holding their son and the boy's eyes matched her black perfectly, the same when her brother, Tommy's Uncle Severus held him in the next picture. When Lucius and Narcissa were holding him, the boy's eyes were a clear crystal blue. Those eyes always amazed and intrigued Zedd. It was a clear sign the boy was empathic, a talent that had not been seen in several hundred generations. Yet even among empaths, it was unheard of for the changes in coloration to be so extreme. But there had also never been an empath as powerful as his son. And Tommy was powerful. Zedd had known that the first time he held the child in his arms, the boy's aura was stronger than any he'd felt before. Now the whole 'verse knew it. Tommy was _legendary_.

Though Zedd, along with everyone else in the 'verse, knew Tommy Oliver to be an empath, Tommy's eyes never changed. they were always the same chocolate brown. Zedd wondered why that was, he missed seeing ... Wait. Chocolate brown, the same shade as Kimberly's eyes. Of course. Maybe now that the little Earthling was gone Tommy's eyes would change once again. While Zedd would freely admit that he didn't understand Tommy's feelings for the girl, he was sure Tommy would get over her soon. It wasn't like he'd shortened their time together that much anyway. Kimberly Harte was an Earthling and they didn't tend to live even a measly hundred years. Tommy would still be a child when those friends of his died of old age, as Tommy would soon realize.

Several pages later, Zedd chuckled to himself as he watched his younger self laying upon the floor of his Earthbound estates, finger painting with his one and a half year old son. Though both he and little Thomas had more paint on themselves than on the paper, and finger paints were far from a technical medium, his son's painting was still a remarkable likeness to Zedd. So much so that no one had to ask what the child's painting was supposed to be. Thomas had talent. Zedd never saw Tommy Oliver paint or draw anything. It was a shame, there's no telling how talented the child would be today. Zedd wondered why he didn't take up any of the arts, wondered if it would be a bad idea to send his son a complete art studio. Would Tommy accept the gift from his father or would the Ranger be wary of anything coming from the Emperor? Zedd would have to give that some thought.

Another few pages and he found the page full of pictures of the three year olds, Thomas and his friend Draco, playing with their holiday gifts -- Chrisman? Well, something like that, Brigid and her family and friends thought it a big deal. There was Thomas and Draco playing on their new kiddy brooms that Lucius gave them, playing at Quidditch with Thomas's Heir sphere filling in for a snitch. Brigid was so worried when she saw them, afraid they would break the crystal sphere, but Zedd has only laughed, told her to let them have fun. Heir spheres did not break easily, though in Brigid's defense, he had jumped on her for treating the sphere casually not a week beforehand. Zedd would return the sphere to his son soon though he had no idea how Tommy would react to it's return. Maybe he could send him the sphere and the art supplies for this year's Chrisman thing. Though thinking back on the four years he'd been present fighting the Earth Rangers, he couldn't recall if they celebrated such holidays.

There they were learning chess with the My-First-Wizardry-Chess set which Zedd gave his little prince. It was an interesting version of the Wizard Chess where the pieces spoke to the players, explaining how they could move, helping them learn strategy. The perfect early life game for the heir to the thrown. His Thomas always beat Draco at the game. That was something he gave the boy that he could see he did use. Everyone knew Tommy Oliver to be a tactical genius, and this filled Zedd with great pride for his son.

There's Severus showing the two boys how to use the junior potions kits he'd given them. Zedd laughed aloud at this one. Severus Snape, Potions Master, so very proud of his potions and so sure his potions would always be perfect. The three year old boys stood calmly beside him, watching intently, but not for the reason Severus thought. Thomas was biding his time and when Severus blinked, the little prince slipped a little extra something into the cauldron. Nothing that effected the potion immediately but when Severus went to add the final ingredient, the whole thing blew up in his face. Thomas didn't give himself away either. Even at three, he could act the part when he wanted. For weeks, Severus worked around the clock trying to discover what went wrong. Then, finally, he thought to look at the photos Brigid took and he had his answer. 'There is no doubt that boy of yours will be in Slytherin,' was all Severus ever said about the incident.

Tommy still used potions, Zedd realized. There were several times when the creations were defeated through an action that should not have been able to phase them. Thinking back on those occasions, there was always a foreign substance present on the remains. His little prince was still playing those slight of hand games only now it was Zedd rather than Severus that spent weeks trying to discover what he did wrong when it was Tommy sabotaging the process all along. It was strange how those memories would have filled him with great anger before he knew it was his son, now he only felt proud of his son's ingenuity.

Severus was back in his son's life. Zedd wondered what that meant, wondered when Tommy found him or if it was Severus who finally found Tommy? Was Tommy still friends with Draco or maybe that would be is he friends with Draco again? Tommy was in a robe, did that mean he was living there again? Where had his little prince been, who took him? How did Tommy escape? He knew nothing of his own son's life between four years of age until the day he showed up within Angel Grove alone and under a fictitious name, his secrets carefully guarded. And there were so many secrets, so many unknowns. So many things stood between them.

Thomas was a happy child before his abduction, full of love and life. Zedd thought back on everything he'd seen of the Green Ranger and he couldn't recall a single instant where Tommy's eyes shone with joy. Yes, there were times when the boy laughed and joked around with his team, yet there was always something guarded within him. Even with those closest to him, Kimberly and Jason, there were walls, lines he wouldn't allow them near. When did this distance occur? Zedd recalled many times while he was watching the boy, his unknown son, when Tommy came across someone hurting a child. Tommy was frightful to see on such occasions. His eyes would blaze with righteous anger and most times the adult causing the harm would run in terror. On very few occasions was Tommy required to show the fools he was more than capable of fulfilling the threat in his baring. Zedd was proud of his son for these deeds yet he wondered why it was Tommy actively searched for such children in need. For it was obvious, now that Zedd bothered to think about it, that the young empath was sensing those children out.

Zedd didn't see the photo album anymore. Instead his mind was filled with more recent pictures of the boy, times when Zedd played the villain to his own son. Zedd had never cared what the PC thought of him nor the Tefonian Empire nor any other government. He ran his empire as he saw fit and for the most part, his people loved him. Yes, he was known for his brutality in war but this stopped many from even attempting to mess with his empire. It allowed the majority of his citizenry to sleep in peace, to walk their streets without fear. Yes, he conquered worlds to extend the reaches of his empire and the view the Earthlings currently held of him was the common view of any world he so targeted. But once they were conquered they mostly learned to appreciate the security being part of his empire provided. So Zedd was well used to being seen as the bad guy, he reveled in this view among his many enemies. Yet it bothered him greatly that his own son ever viewed him in such a manner. How could he convince his son he wasn't the villain in Tommy's story? Was it even possible?


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Jason and Zack sat before the fire in the Gryffindor common room, looking through their new school books and mostly ignoring everyone else's existence. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked up to them.

"Do you really believe you're a better team from ignoring everyone?" Harry asked them.

Jason and Zack turned to them. When they still didn't say anything, Harry added, "'Cause that sounds like a stupid reason not to make friends."

"Who are you?" Jason finally asked.

"I'm Harry Potter. My friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."

"You ever been in war, kid?"

Harry laughed. "You really don't know who I am." As he was laughing, Hermione summoned a book, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, and opened it to a chapter titled Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. She thrust the book at Jason.

Jason skimmed the text then shrugged. "Tough start," he said. "Doesn't answer my question though."

Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione called more books over. "'Mione, lay off the books," he said before turning to Jason. "Voldemort," he began, and most of Gryffindor flinched, "didn't die that night, he just became incorporeal. He came back. When I was eleven, my first year here, he possessed our DADA Professor. I ended up facing him alone and Quirrel died, Voldemort ended up without a body to possess again. Second year, a uh … this'll sound weird but a memory of Voldemort from when he was a student here opened the Chamber of Secrets and set a basilisk loose on the school. Our defense professor was a fake who tried to obliviate me and Ron when we went to him for help. I found the chamber and again faced him alone, killed the basilisk and destroyed the possessed diary that held the memory. Third year, the year we had a real defense course, everyone thought the escaped convict that betrayed my parents was after me and we had to deal with Dementors guarding the school. Turned out Sirius was innocent and he was trying to take out the true betrayer. Fourth year I was entered against my will in the TriWizard Tournament by a Death Eater posing as our defense professor. When Cedric and I won, we touched the Cup and it turned out to be a portkey that took us to a graveyard where Wormtail, the betrayer, killed Cedric and used my blood to resurrect Voldemort. I know war."

Jason and Zack nodded in agreement. Jason then asked, "How many close friends do you have then? I bet it's not that big a number and I bet you've tried to push them away too."

Harry nodded. "You lied to your friend then."

"No," Jason immediately disputed. Then, more honestly, "Yes. I really meant it that our closeness as a team is one of our greatest strengths but that doesn't really keep anyone else out. I just couldn't tell _Tommy_ the full reason."

Zack said, "It's easier not to let anyone close. -- I was seriously dating a girl, Natasha, when the first attack occurred and Zordon chose the five of us as Rangers. I kept dating her even though it was hard to explain why I was late or skipped out early or just didn't show sometimes since we couldn't tell anyone we were Rangers. She didn't understand but she trusted me and we stayed together. Then in … uh, let's say one of Rita's first successes against us, Natasha died. It wasn't even because we were together, she was just a casualty. Wrong place at the wrong time kinda thing. And Natasha, she was just a girl, human. She didn't stand a chance. I didn't even know it at the time. She wasn't at school the next day and I called her after classes. I'd thought she'd just taken a sick day. I never imagined …" Zack broke off, wiped a tear from his eyes. "Anyway, I've kept a distance from non-Rangers since then. Flirted a few times but always with girls I knew would say no."

"Mine was targeted," Jason said. "My parents and little sister were killed because I am the Red Tyrannosaurus Dino Ranger, I am the leader. They wanted to hurt me, to break me. It didn't work." Jason paused. "They failed but my family is still just as dead. So I keep a distance. Rangers are already targets, no reason to give them powerless ones."

"Why didn't you tell Tommy this?" Harry questioned.

"Because he's Tommy," Jason responded. "He's _the_ target in the war. There's always been obvious reasons for that; Tommy's the most talented of us, the most powerful, the greatest. But it's also always felt like the logical reasons for him to be targeted had little to do with anything. But anyway, telling Tommy that reason would be like telling him to distance himself from us. 'Cause compared to Tommy, we're the ones like my family or Zack's Natasha."

Harry thought on that. "I think Tommy's right. Yeah, our friends do become targets but they're also what give you the strength to fight. I'm afraid for my friends all the time but if I didn't have them, I would have given up along time ago. I'd die for my beliefs, I'd die so people I don't know can live in freedom and safety but I _live_ for my friends. I think that's why Tommy was telling all of you to try and let others in, he wanted you to have more to live for. You make your own choice in that but if you decide to quit letting your enemies and your fears run your life, I'd be proud to call you friends."

Jason and Zack just stared at him for a long moment. Jason spoke first. "Powers, you sound like Tommy. I'd be honored to have you as a friend, Harry."

Zack said, "I've got a question for you. Is your defense teacher any better this year?"

The Gryffindors laughed. "No," Harry answered. "Just as pathetic as most the others have been. But it could have been worse, the Minister tried to have one of his lackeys fill the position but the Founding Rules specifically stated the Ministry couldn't be involved in anything like that."

Hermione quoted the exact law but no one paid her words any attention. A girl with the same wild red hair as Ron sat down near them and said, "We've been trying to convince Harry to teach us defense since he's so good at it but so far he's ignored us." The girl paused, said, "Oh, I'm Ginny Weasley."

Harry rolled his eyes but didn't comment.

"Hi, I'm Angelina Johnson," a tall black girl introduced herself as she joined them. "Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and Chaser. Do you play?"

"Is that some kind of sport?" Jason asked.

"Some kind of sport!" she responded, sounding almost insulted. "Quidditch is _the_ sport!"

"Not to muggles," Harry interjected. "Quidditch is a magical sport, flying on broomsticks. It's fun, I'm Seeker."

Zack said, "We haven't had time for any kind of sport in years. Been more worried with the 50' monsters rampaging through downtown."

"Flying on a broom doesn't really sound fun," Jason said, grinning at the thought. "I'll leave the flying to Kim--" He broke off suddenly, the grin slipped from his lips as he caught his gaffe.

"Pink Ranger's zord is the only Dino to fly," Zack softly stated. He forced a smile, met Angelina's eyes. "So how's this Quidditch played?"

It took her a moment to notice his words as the pain that flashed across Jason's face was so intense it froze her. "Uh, there's seven players on a team. The Keeper guards the goals, there's three hoops at each end of the field for the two teams. They're guarding against the three Chasers who's job it is to get the Quaffle through the goal, each goal is ten points. Then there's the two Beaters who use their bats to hit the Bludgers away from their team and towards the others. There's two Bludger balls in play and they're enchanted to attack the nearest player. The Seeker is after the smallest and most important ball, the Golden Snitch. They're about the size of a walnut and mad fast, enchanted to avoid capture for as long as possible while remaining within the pitch. The capture of the Snitch is worth 150 points and ends the game. I'm our team's captain and Chaser. The other Chasers are Alicia Spinnet," she pointed out the girl then each of the others, "and Katie Bell. Ron here's our Keeper. The twins, Fred and George Weasley are Beaters, and Harry told you he's Seeker."

Jason and Zack both looked a bit lost in this description. Zack offered her a smile, said, "I think we might need to see it to have any idea what you're talking about."

"We have the pitch for practice tomorrow evening," Angelina said. "You can come if you want."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Trini sat in the Ravenclaw common room, surrounded by her new house mates as they all tried to get to know one another. Beside her sat Cho Chang. She seemed alright, and she seemed to enjoy having another Asian in the House. The girl right beside Cho though, the girl's best friend, Marietta Edgecombe set her on edge. It wasn't anything she could put her finger on but something told her not to trust the girl. On Trini's other side was Padma Patil. She'd taken that seat when she saw Trini wasn't at all interested in the boys that were all but falling over themselves to get to her. Trini smiled at her in thanks.

"What about your family?" Cho asked.

"Yeah, are they magical too or are you muggleborn?" one of the boys asked.

"What does that matter?" another spoke up. "I'm muggleborn."

"I just wondered, that's all."

Trini spoke, her soft voice overriding all others. "I'll assume muggle means non-magical." When several nodded, Trini said, "I have no idea. My parents died when I was very young, I was fostered by Mr. and Mrs. Wright. We lived next door to Kimberly's family, we became best friends even before school. When we both became Power Rangers, it only strengthened our bonds." Trini sighed. "The Wrights were nice enough but … the Power Rangers are my family."

Padma asked, "If they raised you and were nice, why don't you call them family?"

Trini started to answer but stopped before a word left her lips. Her expression grew distant, everyone and everything else faded into the background as she thought. There were many answers she could give to that question, all of them made of truth but only one of them true. The answer she gave to this question would define, if only to herself, how she would interact with the others, the non-Rangers. So the question she needed to answer to herself was simple yet meant everything. Would she follow Tommy's words and allow the chance of non-Rangers growing close or would she simply pretend to be doing so while keeping the major part of herself separate? She trusted and respected Tommy yet letting anyone close was dangerous. Was she ready to face the possible pain now, while she was trying to deal with the very real pain of losing Kim?

Another girl walked over to the gathered students and sat on the table facing Trini, drawing the Ranger's attention. The girl had dirty blonde waist length hair and distinctive silver-grey eyes. She had her wand behind her ear, much like Trini had seen some kids do with their pencils in school. She wore what looked like radishes as earrings and a necklace of bottle corks, which should have made her appear humorous yet she sat there with such dignity that such a term could not apply.

"If you claim to respect him and trust his judgment, don't dishonor him by pretending," she said, the almost dreamy tone of her voice seeming at odds with her words.

"Leave her alone Loony," someone sneered in the background. Trini wasn't sure who, her attention was locked on the unusual girl before her.

The girl ignored the obvious insult and kept Trini's gaze with serene pride and strength, her very baring making the insulter seem both rude and petty. She reacted much the same way as Tommy would when someone insulted the Green Ranger, whether they knew that was him or not. Though Trini was sure just by looking that this girl was quite different from Tommy, she had that same strength in her beliefs, the same strong will and pride. The differences also showed many commonalities. Tommy also dressed and carried himself differently from the common in Angel Grove, his long hair was just one difference.

Trini told the room in general, "I don't appreciate such petty behavior. If you are incapable of civilized conversation and insist on insulting each other, you would do best to keep it out of my hearing." She held her hand out to the younger girl. "Trini Kwan," she introduced herself.

The girl looked at the extended hand a moment. "I'm not sure you want to do that. In the Wizardry World, most avoid contact. Shaking hands like muggles do so much is held for only those you most respect."

Trini smiled. "Then it's the same as with Rangers."

The girl smiled brilliantly at this and took Trini's hand, introduced herself. "Luna Lovegood."

"Good to meet you, Luna." Trini took a deep breath then answered the earlier question. "I always thought of Mr. and Mrs. Wright as my parents, I love them dearly. Then we became the Power Rangers and … Jason's family was killed because of it. Zack lost his girlfriend in the war. Billy lost something, he never spoke to us about it. I just …" She paused, shook her head. "I distanced myself from them. It was the safest thing for them. They're civilians, just human. Mortal and all too easily broken. So I protected them."

***

In Hufflepuff, Kat was also surrounded by her new house mates, the problems of the original Rangers not interfering in her getting to know them. She was neither trying to keep a distance nor actively trying to make friends.

Only two in the group really drew her attention so far. Ernie Macmillan, who on first impression seemed overly pompous but as she listened to the house mates talking, she couldn't help but notice how willing he was to stand for his friends. The other was Zacharias Smith. That boy also appeared full of himself but unlike with Ernie, Kat couldn't find his redeeming grace. It was the first day, she admitted to herself, but she was wondering if maybe he truly didn't have one.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Tommy entered the full yet silent common room and walked over to where Billy stood alone. "How long do you plan on staring at the lake, Blue Boy?" Tommy casually asked, ignoring the entire House observing them.

Billy didn't turn from the window. "It's an interesting view. I've never looked at a lake from below before." He paused then hesitantly asked, "Does Angel Grove Lake have this type of life?"

"Some of it's just native this area but the Grove has a colony of merpeople. I've dealt with them a bit when I needed to trade for potion ingredients," Tommy said. "There's nothing really dangerous in the lakes, most the dangerous sea-life requires salt water."

"You mean like that beach where we take the kids all the time?" was Billy's wry response.

Tommy chuckled. "Further out than that. Think closer to where my Dragonzord lives. -- Call your wand."

Billy called his wand to his hand as he commented, "I thought you were waiting until we're all together after lunch."

"We've got a couple hours 'til lunch still, if I teach you now then you can help me with the others. First year Charms starts with Wingardium Leviosa," Tommy began. He started to show the wand movement when one of the boys laughed.

"You don't even know Wingardium Leviosa?" he sneered. "We don't need some stupid mudblood in …"

Tommy demonstrated the spell and the boy's sentence ended in a yell of surprise as he found himself floating to the ceiling. "Usually it's taught using a feather but a big mouthed bigot works just as well. As with Ranger magic, intent is important. You can say the words and do the motions all day, if you don't mean for anything to happen then nothing will happen. When done you cancel this spell simply by meaning for the object to stop floating. You can sit it down easily or …" Tommy let the spell drop and the boy screamed as he fell to the ground hard.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Billy said, copying Tommy's movements, and the boy screamed again as he floated to the ceiling before almost immediately being dropped. "I'm surprised you know wand magic, Tommy, seeing as you didn't have a wand before."

"I studied," Tommy said as he sat his wand aside for a moment. He made a motion with his hand and the boy floated to the ceiling then hit the floor hard for a third time. "I'm powerful enough that it's difficult to find a wand that won't burn out from my use which also means I don't require a wand for wand magics, though it is easier to learn with a wand. While the abilities were a secret weapon, I wasn't trying too hard to find a wand since it's very existence would have given away that connection." He continued through the first four years of Charms and the few lessons that fifth year already covered, using the same boy as a target for most of them. Then he moved on to Defense Against the Dark Arts, giving a general overview of the course as he taught the spells. The longer he spoke, the more he showed Billy, the more the Slytherins paid attention. First and second years were the first ones to move over to them, taking in as much as they could of the lesson. By the time he'd covered Defense to early fifth year, most of Slytherin House had joined them.

Severus entered the Common Room towards the end of the Defense lesson. He stayed silent in the background as he watched his nephew.

Lifting the final spell with a wave of his hand, Tommy told the boy he'd used as a target, "I can assure you there are no 'stupid mudbloods' on my team. You don't know any of their backgrounds. Simply because we have not been attending a magic school such as Hogwarts doesn't mean they aren't just as magical as any of you. We're Power Rangers. The team has been learning different magics than what you learn here, that's all. Take this as a warning. **_Do not_** mess with my people in any manner, meaning either one of us or any of our teammates in the other Houses. If for any reason they don't handle you themselves, _**I will**_."

A tall blond girl walked over to Tommy and Billy. "_**I**_ don't see any stupid mudbloods here though I do see why he thought you would be in Ravenclaw. I've never seen anyone pick up spells so quickly. Daphne Greengrass," she held her hand out to Billy.

Billy met her eyes for a moment before accepting her hand. "Billy Cranston. Pleasure to meet you Miss Greengrass."

"Daphne," she corrected. "Don't pay any attention to Theo there, that was stupid of him."

"I agree, Daphne," Billy said. "No one in their right mind sets out to make an enemy of our Greenman."

Daphne smiled at that. "I can believe that." She offered her hand to Tommy. "What do you prefer us to call you? It seems everyone uses a different name for you."

"Tommy works," he said as he too accepted her hand.

"This is my sister Astoria," she introduced as the other girl walked over. "She's a third year."

"Hi," Astoria said.

A boy joined them. "Blaise Zabini. Welcome to Slytherin House."

"Tracey Davis," a girl introduced herself next. The girl next to her followed her lead. "Millicent Bulstrode."

A blond boy suddenly stood and rushed out of the room. He returned a moment later with a photo album which he opened and showed to Tommy. "I thought I remembered you," he said, just a hint of hope sounding through. "That's you, isn't it."

The photo showed two boys, three years old, watching intently as Severus Snape brewed a potion. When the photo of Snape blinked, the dark haired boy slipped something into the cauldron.

Tommy smiled as he watched their younger selves. "Yes, Dray," he stated. He turned to Billy and said, "Blue Boy, meet Draco Malfoy. He was like a brother to me for the first four years of our lives."

"Honored to meet you, Draco Malfoy," Billy said to this introduction. Then, looking at the photo he asked, "What are you doing there, Greenman?"

"Sabotaging Uncle Sev's potion."

Severus stepped in then. "I spent weeks trying to discover what went wrong with that potion. It was only because of that photo that I discovered the culprit."

Tommy smiled at that. "If Cissa hadn't taken that picture …"

"Mum was photo happy that Christmas," Draco agreed laughingly. Then completely serious, "I was glad of that when you disappeared though. It gave me something solid to remember you by. I never gave up hope of you coming home again. When you did show up and called Severus your uncle, I was almost afraid to hope."

"Are Cissa and Luc still around?"

"I'll owl them after lunch. They'll be so glad you're back too. You've got to spend the Christmas holiday with us. You're whole team's invited, of course. I'll tell Mum and Father when I owl them."

Tommy chuckled. "You _do_ sound happy, Dray." He glanced at Severus. "I think I'm glad to be back too."


	19. Chapter 19

_Sorry for the long wait on the update. This wall appeared between me and the story and it took awhile to find just the right bricks to tap. It's a little shorter but at least it's started again._

_All earlier chapters have been edited as of Jan. 22, 2010._

***

Chapter 19

Slytherin House was the last to arrive for lunch. Tommy's eyes scanned the room as they entered. All the Rangers were interacting with their House mates. Tommy sat between Billy and Draco. Almost as soon as he'd sat, Kat walked over and sat on the other side of Billy.

"I was wondering what we're doing about the people in the Grove," she said. "Everyone knows you guys are the Rangers and that … that Kim was seriously hurt. My parents are probably freaking over me disappearing on them and I know the town's freaking worrying over Jason's abduction and Kim's obvious injuries and all."

Tommy just looked at her for a long moment. These were issues he didn't want to deal with. "You do know Jason's team lead, right?"

Kat smiled. "I got that from every story on the Rangers and all but that's not how the team acts off camera. I think I'm talking to our _real_ leader."

Tommy started to dispute her words but stopped and thought about it. They'd always deferred to him but it'd still always been Jason's team. Yet recently, Jason had started following his words more than the other way around. Since the Command Centre fell, the entire team had been treating him as Lead. He sighed and called, "Rangers."

Immediately, Jason and Zack left the Gryffindor table and Trini left the Ravenclaw table to join them at Slytherin.

"Kat brought up some good points," Tommy told them. "We need to do something about the Grove before their fears get out of hand."

Jason nodded. "I'll 'port in and talk to Melissa at KPRN. Basic statement?"

"They saw our Command Centre fall so admit it's destruction, don't mention Zordon. Just say our Earth base was destroyed however our command ship is fully capable of taking up the old bases duties and more. You're presence will handle that worry, Kim … someone needs to tell her parents before you talk to the media," Tommy said.

"I'll do that," Trini volunteered. "I've known them the longest."

"Zack, go with her?" Tommy asked.

Zack nodded.

"And Billy with Jas to the network. I'm not sure if Zedd'll try anything or not now that we all know he's my father, but I don't want to risk anything so we travel in pairs right now." When the others nodded in agreement, Tommy continued, "Tell them of Kim's passing and Kat's joining us. Kat and I'll go to her family to let them know before the media blitz. We'll go after dinner tonight, around midday Grove time. Anything else?" When no one had anything, Tommy said, "Get back to your lunches. You'll need the energy for your lessons this afternoon. Jas?"

Trini, Kat, and Zack headed back to their tables. Jason sat between Billy and Tommy. "What is it bro?"

"When did this team become mine?"

Jason grinned. "Just noticed that? I don't know, when we broke the spell and you joined us? It started then, anyway. You know this stuff, I don't. I guess it really happened when we lost Zordon. I've been following you all along, the others just finally acknowledged that and did the same."

"I'm not sure about this, bro."

"Nothing's changed there, little bro," Jason assured him. "I deal with the media and all, you handle tactics. Same old." Jason stood. "I'll go so you can talk to your House mates. You know, follow your own advice."

***

continued


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Katherine Hillard!" the woman exclaimed the moment Kat and Tommy walked into the kitchen. "Where have you been? You disappear without a word, I've been worried sick. Do you have any idea how dangerous things are right now? The Power Rangers …"

"Actually," Kat cut her mother off. "I'm _very_ aware of what the Power Rangers have been doing. The Red Ranger will be making a statement to the media this evening."

Mrs. Hillard looked lost for a moment. "How could you know?"

Andrew, Kat's nine year old cousin, answered for her though. His attention was locked on Tommy. "You're Thomas Oliver! The Green Ranger!"

Tommy smiled at the boy. "I am. You can call me Tommy. I never really liked 'Thomas'."

"This is so cool! I can't wait to tell my friends! But no one will believe I met the Green Ranger," he finished, almost pouting.

"I bet they will," Tommy told him. "With Kat being your cousin, they'll have to believe after the news today."

At this, Mrs. Hillard really looked at her daughter and Tommy. The two Rangers still wore the wizardry robes in their Ranger colors. "Why? And what are you wearing?"

"You might want to sit, Mom," Kat said.

"The news is saying your friend Kimberly is the Pink Ranger," Mrs. Hillard softly stated. "And she was badly hurt. Then you disappear only to return wearing pink robes and with the Green Ranger? Kat?"

Kat sighed. "Kim's injuries were too severe. She passed away. All the Rangers had a chosen second that they hoped would agree to accept the Power and responsibility if they were to fall. Kim chose me. I accepted."

Mrs. Hillard sat down now, silently crying. "My baby. How could you? Why?"

"I know you've always been against war in general, Mom. But I don't think you see all that clearly there. I never wanted to fight, none of us did. When I first met the Rangers it was because Rita put a spell on me to use me to break Tommy and Kim up. They freed me of that spell and … That spell was nowhere near as bad as what she did to Tommy in making him the Green Ranger and all, but it was … it was _horrid_, Mom. I was me but I wasn't me. After that, I completely supported the Rangers in whatever they did. Because I knew they did what they did so that no one else would have to experience that. When Trini told me of Kim's passing and her choice, I accepted because it's the right thing to do. I accepted for the same reasons Tommy told me he joined the team. I did so because it's a choice between standing and fighting for what's right or standing aside and allowing myself and others to be killed and enslaved with impunity."

_**_*

Trini and Zack teleported just outside Kim's front door and knocked on the door.

Her mother opened the door. Seeing the two of them standing there, in their wizardry robes, she said, "You look better than you did on the news. Is Kimmy with you?"

Trini shook her head slightly. "Can we come in?"

She paled as she read the truth in their expressions. She'd lost her husband and son very early in the war so it was just her and Kim anymore. When she'd seen the news, it didn't take anything for her to realize the attack that took half her family was a personal strike. She didn't blame the Power Rangers when it happened, she didn't blame them when the personal reasons were revealed. She always laid the blame squarely where it belonged -- on the attacking aliens. She'd remarried less than a month ago, her new husband introduced to her by her little girl. He always excused any absence of Kim's, saying only that a girl like her had good reasons for whatever she did. "Come in," she finally managed to say.

She walked into the living room and sat by her husband. She looked from him to the two Power Rangers and back. "How long have you known?" she asked.

"I met Kimberly when the Dino Rangers saved my life," he said. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you but their secrets are that because of the laws of the PC."

"While we are not part of that government," Trini said, "our mentor was. While Zordon was our mentor, if we broke their laws Zordon would have been in trouble. He was a General."

"Was?"

"I'm sorry, sir. The Tefonians assisted us in attempting to discover Zordon's fate but at this time it appears highly unlikely that he survived. If he did, he is now completely within another dimension and outside of our ability to reach."

Kim's mother asked, "Why … how do you know this mentor of theirs?"

Her husband smiled softly. "I have never lied to you, love. But I have been less than truthful in my silences. Angel, I am not human. I am Eltarian and Zordon is my brother."

***

Silence fell over the newsroom when the Red and Blue Rangers teleported into their midst, for the first time unmorphed. The two boys were wearing robes in their Ranger colors.

"Melissa," Jason said, ignoring most everyone. "I have a statement for this evening's broadcast."

Melissa said, "I'm glad to see you. We were all worried when we saw the aliens take you. And everyone on your team was injured. Are the others okay as well?"

Jason closed his eyes in pain, Billy's expression remained unreadable. After a moment, Jason simply said, "The team is at full strength."

She didn't have a ready response to this. Finally she said, "We can record your statement whenever you are ready, Red Ranger."

Jason nodded and walked over to join Melissa before the cameras as he'd done hundreds of times before, the only difference being his face was visible this time. He took comfort in that familiarity. It was the Red Ranger, the warrior that spoke here, not the scared teenager that just lost his sister. "I'm ready."

The camera started rolling. "Greetings," Jason began formally. "As most everyone is now aware, I am Jason Scot, Red Tyrannosaurus Dino Ranger of the Power Rangers of Earth. In the battle where our identities became locally known, the building you saw destroyed was our Earth based Command Centre. I stress Earth based there as we are in possession of a Command Ship, a space craft, that has now taken over all duties of our old base. The ship's capabilities far exceed our old base and it's defenses are greater.

"I was captured in that same battle however I was quickly rescued and am completely healed. We did suffer a great loss though. Kimberly Harte, the Pink Pterodactyl Dino Ranger, was fatally injured in the battle. She lived and died as a hero. Her story will forever be honored among the Ranger corps throughout the 'verse. We will never forget her.

"The team however is at full strength. Like we all have, Kim had a chosen which was to take the Power in such a situation. Kim's chosen accepted the honor and has already been on a mission with the team where she showed herself worthy of Kim's choice. She is Katherine Hillard.

"We are making some changes due both to the change in location of our Command Centre and the knowledge of our identities. We will no longer be attending school locally nor will we be living here. You will still see us here at times, teleportation makes it easy to cover distances much greater than our solar system and as we are not leaving our planet, no distance is too great. In the event of an attack, I assure you we can answer as quick or quicker with this new set-up. Our oath to your defense is unchanged."

With that, Jason and Billy teleported out.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Tommy sat at the Slytherin table enjoying a quiet breakfast with Draco, Billy, Jason, and his Uncle Severus. The castle was mostly empty as the train left last night taking the students home for the Christmas holiday. Trini, Zack, and Kat teleported back to Angel Grove to spend the holidays with Kat's family and visit with Kim's parents. Most those that were staying over the holidays chose to sleep in this morning so they had the room almost to themselves.

Jason looked still half asleep. "Why are we up?"

Tommy smirked. "Because we're leaving for the Malfoy estates right after breakfast, bro."

"That can't wait 'til a decent time a day?" He laid his head down on the table.

Tommy shook his head. "It's not that --" He cut off and jumped to his feet, turning to the head table as someone teleported in. "Goldar." Billy and Jason, now fully awake, took up stances on either side of Tommy.

Ignoring the others, Goldar met Tommy's eyes for a moment then knelt before him. "My Prince."

Tommy's stance changed to a slightly less aggressively defensive stance. "Goldar?" he repeated, incredulous. "Don't do -- Get up."

Goldar stood, chuckling lightly. "Surely you don't find this that surprising, My Prince? After all, you _know_ our Code."

"I do," Tommy agreed. "Your oath is to…" He hesitated on just what to call Zedd.

"Your father," Goldar finished for him easily. "And his heir. You."

Tommy met Goldar's eyes in silence for a long moment then nodded. To Jason and Billy he said, "Finish your breakfast. Luc and Cissa are expecting us soon."

"Tommy?" Jason questioned.

"It's okay bro. Goldar's honorable." Tommy stepped away from them and moved to the end of the table. He sat on the edge of the table, one foot propped up on the bench seat. Behind him, Jason and Billy returned to their breakfasts though they kept a wary eye on their leader, ready to jump to his defense if Goldar tried anything.

"Why are you here, Goldar?" Tommy asked.

"This is your Earth holiday where you exchange gifts? Chris Man?" Goldar questioned.

Tommy chuckled. "Christmas. Yes it is."

"Your father sent me with gifts for you. Will you accept?"

A long silence followed. "He sent Christmas presents?" Tommy softly breathed, feeling overwhelmed.

Goldar stepped forward and Jason and Billy jumped to their feet. Goldar rolled his eyes at them and continued forward, sitting on the Gryffindor bench facing Tommy. "Is it really that shocking, Tommy? He is your father. If you remember anything from those years, you must recall how much he adored you. Spoiled you, I would say."

__

'Hello little Prince,' Dar said, kneeling down to Thomas's level. He was a tall man, almost as tall as Thomas's father, with long black hair, golden tan skin, and yellow gold eyes. 'Why pout so?'

'Dray's not here. He's **late**.'

Dar laughed lightly. 'I thought your mother said Draco couldn't come today.'

'She did.' Thomas smiled mischievously. 'Dad say he can.'

'He spoils you, I would say,' he laughingly responded. 'Maybe I can keep you company until Draco arrives?'

"I 'recall' everything, Dar," Tommy stated, his tone just a little distant. Jason and Billy exchanged looks then finally retook their seats.

"You do remember me," Goldar said to this.

"Your non-augmented form is better looking."

When Tommy said this, Goldar's form shimmered and a moment later, he appeared is a young man the equivalent of late teens to early twenties. "Better?"

Something in Tommy relaxed as he took in the familiar features of his old friend and tutor. "It is." A slight pause then, "Do you know how long I've thought him dead?" He shook his head. Goldar said nothing in the silence, knowing Tommy didn't expect an answer. "Then I find out he's not dead and he's been here, right in front of me these last four years and neither one of us knew it. He -- I remember my Dad. I remember him loving me, he'd give me anything, everything I wanted. And I remember these last four years, fighting Zedd. He tried to take everything from me. He killed my Kimmy."

"You know he didn't know you were his son these years."

"I _know_," Tommy almost growled. "I'm not sure it makes a difference."

Goldar smiled. _You're not sure it **doesn't** make a difference either, are you My Prince._ "Even not knowing you as his son, he still offered you a place by his side. Many times over, despite the fact you continuously turned him down and you fought against him daily. He wants you by his side. He always has. Not just because you are his son but because you are you. He respects you greatly, My Prince."

Tommy smiled slightly at this but it quickly faded. "His empire has people like Rita --"

"Control spells are illegal now," Goldar quickly informed. When Tommy looked up in shock, he continued, "Lord Zedd never condoned such spells but they were long standing within the Empire when he took the throne. He greatly discouraged their use but it wasn't until Rita's use of that spell on you that he made them illegal. That law went into effect the second day he was here, Tommy. Within hours of him first seeing you. He was greatly angered that she did such a thing to you especially. Even then, without knowing you are his son."

"They're illegal?" Tommy said. "But what about what she did to Kat last year?"

"Skirting legalities," Goldar explained. "The law stated control spells, she used a potion. It is a weaker control, temporary and more easily broken. Your father updated the law to cover any sort of control issue after that incident. I believe that was because of your anger when you realized she was being controlled."

"That is … a lot to think about," Tommy murmured.

Goldar smiled at that. He stood, called a small box from his pocket dimension and stepped forward. He held the box out to Tommy. "You have yet to say if you will accept your father's gifts, My Prince. This, however, is already yours. Your father saved it from the ruins of your old home after your mother's death."

Tommy glanced at the box and instantly recognized it. The Heir sphere. His full family history, including those that never held the Green Dragon Powers, and history and knowledge of his father's people was contained within that box. He'd played with the sphere as a child, never realizing the true importance of the item nor the responsibilities it spoke of. It belonged to the Heir to the Empire, to the Crowned Prince, to someone that was responsible for the protection and welfare of more worlds than there were people on Earth. He hadn't known this when he was four, when he and Draco used it as a snitch in their makeshift Quidditch games, but he was well aware of it now. He understood duty and responsibility now and he knew to accept that sphere today would be to accept that duty to the Empire. Even more, it would be to accept Lord Zedd as his father.

Goldar saw the recognition and understanding in Tommy's eyes, saw the torn look. When Tommy didn't take it nor refuse it after several minutes, Goldar asked, "Will you accept your father's Christmas gifts, Tommy?"

Tommy hesitated. He wasn't sure it was a good idea, nor was he sure it could be a bad idea, but whatever it was he admitted to himself he was curious. "I guess."

Goldar smiled. He turned around and sat the box containing the Heir sphere on the Gryffindor table, pressing nothing but leaving the option easily available if Tommy chose to claim it again. With a wave of his hand, he teleported the packages down beside Tommy. When Tommy just stared at the boxes for a long moment, Goldar asked, his own curiosity sounding through, "Are you going to open them?"

Tommy smiled slightly at this and began to open the first box. Severus, Draco, Jason, and Billy moved closer to watch, having finished their breakfasts some time ago. The first box was a complete set of oil and acrylic paints, the next box contained paint brushes and pallet knifes, the next an easel. Canvases followed this. Then oil pastels, colored pencils, drawing pads. By the time he reached the last box, Tommy was sure he had received every possible type of art supply in existence. He wondered what could be left for that final box.

Opening it, he felt tears fill his eyes. It was a finger painting picture of him and his father and mother that he did when he was three and gave to his father that last Christmas they were together. It was framed in a material not of Earth, encased in a protective magic that kept it from fading or being damaged in any form. Tommy could feel the age of the magic, could tell it had been on it since the day he gave it to his father.

There was a note underneath. Tommy had to wipe the tears from his eyes to read it.

__

My little prince, it began._ I know this must all be confusing for you. So much has happened, so many mistakes. I will never forgive myself for not recognizing you the first time I laid eyes upon you. The mere fact you thrive under the Green Dragon Powers should have told me to look closer but I never did. I have no excuse for this. I believe it was my own blindness, that I did not want to think of the possibility of my son, my most precious child living a life filled with such pain as I could see so easily within your eyes. I remember my little prince as a happy child, full of love and joy. I have watched you these last years and even at your most relaxed you remain guarded. The first pictures of you they had, taken at that tournament that drew Rita's attention to you and caused her to make that vile mistake, even in them you were guarded. I fear what could have happened to my little prince to make this so._

There are many things I never saw you do, things you once enjoyed greatly. It is my hope that you can still enjoy those things. For that reason, I have sent you every sort of art medium I could think of, as you were always so skilled with such things. I hope you are willing to accept this from me. Know there is no catch, no price. I only hope to see happiness in your eyes once again, my most precious son.

With love, your father.

Tommy was crying silently as he finished reading the note.

"Tommy?" Jason softly questioned. He stepped towards the younger boy but made no move to touch him, knowing better.

"I'm okay," Tommy breathed. He wiped the tears from his face and looked at the letter for a long moment. Then, reaching a decision, he waved his hand over it, casting a silent spell of protection before sending it to his pocket dimension. Goldar smiled at this action. With another wave of his hand, Tommy send all the art supplies to his pocket dimension as well. He held onto the framed painting, hugging it to himself.

Tommy stood, stepped to Goldar's side and held out the painting. "This one belongs to him," he softly stated. "I'm glad he still has it."

Goldar smiled bigger at this. "I'll return it to him immediately, My Prince."

"Tell him I said thanks." Tommy reached over and took his Heir sphere from the other table, send it to his pocket dimension. "I -- all is not forgiven. It can't be forgotten. But … nothing is forgotten. I've always loved my father. Finding out who he is, even with everything, it doesn't change that. It complicates it but it doesn't change it."

"I will tell him, Tommy," Goldar said. "Now My Prince, I will take my leave as it appears I have already made you late to your holiday plans."

---

Continued -- I thank my friend, Seithr-Kairy, for the idea of Goldar delivering Christmas gifts and inspiring this chapter!

I look forward to your reviews!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy stood by the floo, waiting to greet their late guests for Christmas. Usually they would simply have a house elf show their guests to the parlor but both were anxious to see Thomas Uainedragan as well as worried over the tardiness. Though Draco's letters were lacking in any information on where the child had been these years, everything they'd heard from others said Thomas was one of those 'Power Rangers' that caused such a stir in the Wizardry World with their appearance in America a few years ago. A stir that never really settled since the wizards and witches sent to look into them could never find out anything of their identities but did manage to observe many battles. The magic used by both sides were unknown to every one of the observers, which filled many with fear, others with a yearning to find and learn from them. The locals, when asked about the Power Rangers, explained them as 'secret defenders that showed up when the aliens attacked' -- In those exact words every single time. Not even with Legilimency could anyone discover so much as a theory as to who the Power Rangers were or where they came from. Not from a lack of theories among the locals but rather because a magic over the town blocked every attempt to look into the muggles' minds for such theories.

Five columns of light appeared before them, right in front of the fireplace. As the light faded, they saw Severus Snape and Draco standing on either side of a boy dressed in green robes who just have to be Thomas. He looked so much like his father though it was easy to see his mother in him as well. Behind them were two more boys, one in red and the other in blue robes.

Tommy stepped forward, started to speak but hesitated on what to say, what to call these two after so much time. Finally he simply said, "I apologize for our tardiness, and I hope you don't mind our method of arrival. I never much cared for floo travel."

Narcissa stepped forward, laid a hand on Tommy's cheek. "My dear Thomas," she breathed. "You've grown to a fine young man."

"Cissa?" Tommy softly responded, questioning if his old name for her was still okay.

She smiled brightly and wrapped him in her arms. After a slight hesitation, Tommy hugged her back. "I worried so when you disappeared," she said. She worried still. She'd felt him tense when she embraced him before almost immediately relaxing. What could have happened to cause such a reflexive flinching away from friendly contact?

Tommy smiled as he stepped back from the hug. She released him only reluctantly. Lucius stepped forward and said, "I too have missed and feared for you, dear cousin. Now I hear you are one of those 'Power Rangers' that showed up out of nowhere a few years ago, it would seem we had more reason to fear for you than we believed."

"Green Dragon Thunder Ranger. Leader of the Rangers of Earth. Honestly my life's improved greatly through this, Luc," Tommy stated, watching Lucius closely. Lucius read the question in his eyes and nodded slightly. Tommy relaxed and said, "We're safe now anyway. Meet my Second, Jason Scot, Red Tyrannosaurus Dino Ranger. And our Third, Billy Cranston, Blue Triceratops Dino Ranger. -- Rangers, this is Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."

***

Goldar stood on the balcony, silently gazing at Earth, lost in thought.

"_I 'recall' everything, Dar," _Tommy had said, recognizing Goldar from a single phrase even with the older man in his augmented form which the young Prince had never seen. While he was glad to hear this, it brought up the question: Why didn't _Goldar_ recognize Tommy was his Prince? Sure Tommy had grown in those years, as children are wont to do, but he still looked like himself. He looked like Lord Zedd with just a hint of his mother to him. He was a most powerful empath, as the 'verse knew well. How could he possibly have missed that this powerful, empathic child that thrived under the Green Dragon Powers and looked like his Lord was his missing Prince?

Scorpina walked onto the balcony and wrapped her arms around Goldar's waist from behind, laid her head on his back. "You are brooding, love."

"Huh?" Goldar said, pulling back from his thoughts. He smiled as he realized what she said. "I suppose I was. I just delivered Christmas gifts to our young Prince, from his father."

"Oh." Scorpina pulled back and moved so she could see her lover's face. "How did our Tommy take that?"

Goldar thought on that a moment. "Everything considered, I have to say he took it well. He accepted the return of the Heir sphere."

She raised an eyebrow at that. "Does he understand what it means?"

"Very much." Goldar filled her in on the encounter.

"This is good news. It's good he recognized you, that will be helpful."

Goldar growled lightly. "Why didn't _I_ recognize _him_? How blind ---"

Scorpina placed her finger to his lips, silencing him. "How did you not recognize him? Let's look at it logically, my love. I didn't know him back then, so tell me, was our young Prince always distant, wary of people?"

"No, he was very open."

"And his emotions? Did he keep his face blank, were his eyes filled with pain and sorrow and loss all the time?"

Goldar shook his head. "Prince Thomas was a happy child."

"Did he flinch from the slightest touch, as Tommy does even when he sees it coming? Did he react in an aggressively defensive manner if touched by surprise?"

"Of course not! Our Lord spoiled that little boy."

"Of course not," Scorpina agreed a little smugly. "Because he was a four year old child that had only known love. The Tommy Oliver we met was him after being abducted from his family and who knows what happened then. Even the short time before Rita put the spell on him showed something horrid happened to him. The actions you expected to see were not there. You have not changed much in those few years, love. Tommy has never said and may never say what happened but it is obvious that he is not the same."

Goldar thought on that a moment. "I suppose you are correct. But what could have happened? What was done to our Prince?"

Scorpina frowned. "As I've said when it was him just as the Ranger we spoke of, I _suspect_ I know _part_ of what he's been through but I do not know anything. I am only judging by his actions and, even if I knew, it would not be my place to speak the words."

The silence stretched between them, each in their own thoughts. Scorpina eventually broke it. "He moved to Angel Grove alone, Goldar. He was a child on his own, no family, no friends, nothing. He supported himself as he could and I … saw part of it. Though it could have been termed treason when I did so, I helped him as I could so he wouldn't have to -- to support himself. But he was alone for along time, love. He was well used to being alone. Look at this world sometime, their larger communities all have many children that are without families or homes. Find them, watch them, then tell me if you would speak any theories on how our Prince was hurt."

Goldar nodded slightly to this. He'd never watched the others of this planet but he would follow her advice, see what she wasn't saying. "He never used magic."

Scorpina rolled her eyes. "He's a Ranger, that _is_ magic."

"You know what I mean," Goldar growled. "I never saw him use any magic beyond the level of the other Rangers let alone beyond the Green Dragon. I never saw him use the magic of his mother's people even." A slight pause. "Or rather, I never _noticed_ him do so. Thinking back, we've had several creations fail with him on the battlefield. Seemingly destroyed by that which should not have been able to touch them."

"He _is_ sneaky when he wants to be," Scorpina agreed. "Something else. Everyone knows he's an empath yet I never saw his eyes change. Always chocolate brown, no other shade."

"His eyes changed through every color of the spectrum as a baby," Goldar stated.

"That's unique. I've never heard of an empath's eyes changing beyond the shades of two colors. He is the most powerful though." She thought a moment. "The Pink Ranger's eyes were the same shade of chocolate brown. It seems he truly loves her."

Goldar agreed. "It is the greatest thing standing between father and son now."

***

continued


	23. Chapter 23

NOTE -- Chapter 22 is updated from original post as of Feb 16. It doesn't necessarily need reread, I just clarified a few points. Thanks.

***

Chapter 23

Once they sat to tea, Lucius ignored his son's pouting over not immediately opening presents and asked of Tommy, "Where have you been, child? And why do you say you are 'safe now' when every source says your Rangers are fighting some sort of alien invader?"

Tommy flinched slightly at the first question. Ignoring it, he answered the second half. "New knowledge -- on _both_ sides of the war. He won't attack now. -- And please don't call me 'child'."

Lucius inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. He could easily read the pain in Tommy's brown eyes and wondered both why calling him child could bring pain as well as why his eyes were brown. He asked neither question though. "As you wish, Thomas. What knew knowledge is that? I must admit, I am quite curious over this team of yours. Many wizards and witches traveled to this Angel Grove to find out about the mysterious Power Rangers yet all the locals ever said was they are 'secret defenders that showed up when the aliens attacked'. Our people also did not recognize any of the magic used."

Tommy smirked at this. "I assume that none of you ever made the trip then."

Severus leaned forward at this. "No, we never did so."

Narcissa asked, "But why assume that?"

"You are blood relations of mine that, despite the time since we've seen each other, are known to me. -- There's a protective magic over the Grove," Tommy explained. "A _flawed_ protection. Basically, anyone that lives within Angel Grove can watch and remember everything they see of the Rangers. They could not, however, recognize us while we were morphed unless they either saw us morph or de-morph or we personally told them. After that, they would be able to recognize our voices, mannerisms, things like that."

Billy added, "It could be fun sometimes. We could talk among ourselves about fighting battles or visiting alien worlds, refer to each other by Color, speaking in the most crowded places and no one would notice. So long as we never said the words 'we are the Power Rangers' no one had a clue."

"Until the last battle," Jason murmured and the Rangers fell mournfully silent.

The battle still raged in their minds, their Powers playing off each other to blend their memories together, showing what they didn't see -- a technique they consciously used to review battles for the last five years but they never meant to do so with this one.

The attack by two creations, the Rangers falling back against the powerful onslaught. The blast that shook the whole town and the Command Centre suddenly visible in the field behind the school, forcefully pulled into this dimension where it was vulnerable. The Rangers knocked over and injured by the dimensional shift. The media somehow still there, still recording every second. Principal Caplin and several teachers trying to keep their classmates inside. Billy hit and de-morphed before the media. Bulk and Skull pushing passed Caplin and running onto the battlefield, dragging Billy into the school. Billy returning to consciousness, barely allowing them to finish bandaging his side before he ran back out, morphing as he went. The Command Centre hit the first time, the shields failing. Jason falling, the second de-morphed before the media. Goldar grabbing him and teleporting away before Tommy could reach them. Kim injured and de-morphed but still fighting. Kim working hard to stay out of Tommy's sight as they fought, knowing how he would react, refusing to allow them to use her like that against him. The Command Centre hit again, imploding. Zack, Billy and Trini freezing for just a second as it fell. Tommy turning in anger to the creation whose shot destroyed their base. Tommy locked in battle, unaware of the second creation aiming at his back. Kimberly throwing herself in front of the blast, sacrificing herself to save Tommy. Tommy's anger destroying both creations without a thought. The four Rangers rushing as fast as they could with their own injuries to Kim's side, finding her barely hanging onto life. Tommy promising to find them a safe place before teleporting out. To Hogwarts.

Tommy shook his head to clear it. "Until the last battle," he agreed softly. "Now the whole town knows us." He paused, turned to Billy. "Bulk and Skull?"

"Yes. I'll have to remember to thank them for that. I'd forgotten that, in everything that happened after," Billy admitted.

"They've changed a lot these years," Jason commented.

"Everyone has," Billy pointed out. "Though maybe not as much as those two."

Tommy said, "I don't think they've changed as much as you believe. They just … They're not afraid to be themselves now." He shrugged. "Anyway, I was telling you about the rather flawed protective magic. -- As I said, it worked within Angel Grove until they all saw us as Rangers, now the whole town knows. But it is _just_ Angel Grove that knows. In general, if anyone moves out of the Grove, their knowledge of us will disappear, or if anyone outside Angel Grove tries to find out about us, they might find something but when they leave the Grove again, the knowledge will disappear. The most they will be able to remember is a description of the Power Rangers as secret defenders that showed up when the aliens attacked. That's basically all that can leave town. Someone outside Angel Grove will know us only if we tell them who we are _outside_ Angel Grove. Then, even if they enter the Grove and leave through that protective shield, it will not effect them because the knowledge is separate from the town. In general theory, it works. But it is flawed. Can you guess how?" he asked this to Draco.

"Something about blood relation," Draco said. "But many purebloods went to that town and you are blood relation to them so I'm not sure how that works."

"Known blood relation," Tommy stated. "The flaw to the protection is that it is based on Genetic Sympathetic Magic. It does not effect anyone that is _both _genetically related to a Ranger _and _thought of as family by that Ranger. So, because both apply between me and each one of you, if you had gone to Angel Grove, you could have left with much more information without me ever knowing you'd been there. Then, if you shared that information with anyone outside Angel Grove, it would have been just like me telling them. _That_ is the flaw."

Silence fell over the room. After a moment, Tommy said, "If you want, I'll tell you about us and the war we've fought these last five years. But if I tell you, you must not speak of it to anyone else. There is ... too much in this story I have no desire for the rest of the world to know."

***

Continued -- and looking forward to your reviews.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Tommy sat in silence for a long moment, deciding what to say. "I escaped those that took me and returned here," he finally said. "I found it was believed both my parents had died in those years so I had no reason to stay. So I went to America, studying the martial arts different places as I traveled."

For just a second, Severus's expression showed his surprise at this wording. He hadn't expected Tommy to speak of that without placing any blame upon Severus, not after his reaction when Severus said he'd been trying to protect him. A 'protection' that Tommy's words clearly stated failed completely.

Draco too looked shocked at the wording. He looked to the other Rangers for their reactions. Billy showed none while Jason only grinned, like they expected this entirely.

"Eventually, when I was about ten, I ended up in Angel Grove California." Tommy hesitated again before turning to his Rangers. "You want to give background here bro? Tell how the Rangers of Earth began." Lucius and Narcissa looked to the two boys, more interested in seeing who he was calling his brother than what they would have to say.

Jason and Billy shared a look then Jason leaned forward slightly and began. "It was a normal day in California. Billy, Kim, Trini, Zack and I were walking through the park when a tremor hit and we braced ourselves and waited or it to pass. Instead of getting to continue on as usual, we found ourselves teleported to the Command Centre -- everything about the place said it wasn't of Earth. This crazy old man introduced himself as Zordon of Eltare and said he'd chosen us to be our world's protectors against this witch that escaped her prison of the last ten thousand years. That was just insane for so many reasons, not the least of which was he was talking to twelve year olds. I was the only martial artist in the group too, I protected the others. We told him no way and we walked out the door." He chuckled slightly, sardonically. "Into the middle of a desert, which is interesting since when the Command Centre did appear fully in our dimension it was just behind our school. He'd also placed the Power Coins on us without us knowing it."

"You said you chose it," Tommy softly stated.

"I did. Sorta."

Tommy rolled his eyes at this. "We need to work on your definition of choice, bro."

"The moment I felt the Power, I chose it. Anyway, Rita sent her putties after us and we fought, the others remembering the few things I'd shown them. We were losing." Jason drifted off for a moment, lost in thought. "We were losing and I thought we needed help, needed to do something different, and my morpher appeared in my hand. I decided what the hell, it couldn't hurt."

Tommy laughed at this. "It 'couldn't hurt'?" he repeated. "Taking an alien power within your body, a power you knew nothing about, and you thought _it couldn't hurt_?"

"We were dead if we did nothing," Jason pointed out.

"There's worse things than death."

Jason nodded in agreement. "What can I say? I was a kid, bro, and I didn't have time to think about it either." He shrugged. "So my morpher appeared in my hand and I morphed. It was … it's like I was blind and deaf and unable to smell or feel or anything then suddenly I was experiencing _everything_. It was everything. One moment I didn't know what to think of these grey people attacking us and the next I knew they're putties, Rita Repulsa's usual foot soldiers, and I just knew exactly how to take them out. The others had followed my lead and morphed too and together the five of us dusted them. Their Powers had taught them to fight, mine added so much to what I already knew. We decided Zordon might not be as crazy as we'd thought."

Billy took over. "We fought our first 'monster' that day too and we won. We were overnight sensations and we weren't allowed to tell anyone it was us they were cheering. None of us understood that at the time. After all, Rita knew who we were. It wasn't too much longer before we figured it out though. When they started blaming us for things."

"Blaming you?" Draco asked. "Why?"

Tommy answered this. "Because people die in war."

"That was still sometime off," Jason continued. "We all enjoyed being Rangers from the beginning. It gave us so much. But at the same time, our childhoods really ended that day yet we weren't adults. We had too much knowledge and a sort of memory of experiences well beyond our years just from what the Power itself gives for us to be kids anymore. And we were fighting a war, that doesn't leave much room to be a kid in itself. But we were twelve years old and as innocent and naïve as twelve year olds can be. We also … We won every battle and we started to see _undefeated_ as _undefeatable_. We were lucky …" He paused, a contemplative look in his eyes as he thought back to those early days. "We were _very lucky_ that the one that taught us different was Tommy."

"Lucky," Tommy repeated softly to himself, almost too low to hear.

Billy smiled in memory of his closest brush with death and what it brought him in the end. "Indubitably."

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," Jason told him.

Tommy smiled at this. "Yeah. But you guys are completely insane," was his matter-of-fact response.

Jason grinned in return. "Bro, you _thrive_ on fighting ancient super-powered near immortal aliens, enjoying it the most when the odds are stacked the worst against you. That ain't exactly a sign of sanity."

"Yet you all insist on following me," Tommy pointed out.

"Okay, we're all crazy," Jason agreed with a grin. "But anyway, back to the story. As I said, we were very lucky in that. And it started with a martial arts tournament I'd agreed to take part in before becoming a Ranger. Even then, it was assumed by everyone that I'd win the thing. After becoming the Red Ranger, I not only assumed I'd win, I thought I'd be bored doing so. The team came to support me but they brought their homework with them, obviously thinking the same thing. And it _was_ boring, until the final match. Me against this new kid no one had even heard of before. Tommy Oliver." He chuckled slightly at the memory. "I thought him arrogant, figured it must've been just luck that got him that far."

Tommy commented, "I've never minded anyone assuming me arrogant bro. underestimate me or overestimate me, I take any advantage handed to me."

"Oliver?" Narcissa questioned.

Tommy shrugged. "It was a name. It blended in better than Uainedragan would."

Jason continued, "I was so damned sure of myself I hadn't even paid attention to the match leading up to ours that Tommy won. He showed me how wrong I was in the first second when he took me down, showed me _I_ was the arrogant one. It took everything I had just to stay with him through the match. The judges called it a tie. We both knew if it'd been real I would have lost. If the tournament time had been any longer I would have lost. He took me to my limit and we both knew it. He was cool about it too and I knew then that I wanted us to be friends. Then the team came up to congratulate us and …" Jason shook his head. "I remember thinking this kid should be a Ranger, that he'd be better at it than any of us. I meant to ask Zordon if there was another Power Coin or something. Never got the chance though. Rita had her own ideas."

"Rita had been watching the tournament," Tommy took over smoothly. "She saw me tie the Red Ranger and she decided she wanted me. She sent several dozen putties and the survivors brought me to her castle on the moon." He stopped, memories of exactly what happened flashing through his mind. His face quickly blanked of any expression. His voice was emotionless as he continued, "She put a control spell on me and made me the Green Ranger, forced me to fight for her. The Rangers freed me."

"Mostly you freed yourself, we just helped out a bit. Two months, one week, four days and eighteen hours later," Billy murmured sadly.

"Nineteen and a half hours," Tommy corrected blandly.

Jason was looking at Tommy with a pained expression. "We failed him," he breathed.

"You did not," Tommy refuted strongly.

Jason ignored his words as he finished, "Over two months later, we managed to do something right. It's not enough."

"Jason," Tommy said in a hard, commanding tone. "It was not your fault."

"I should have known --"

"What?" Tommy demanded. "You should've been able to predict the bitch off your whole month experience as a Ranger? Or maybe the full twelve years life experience you had? After all Rita Repulsa's pretty young too, only around 30,000 years old. Maybe _Zordon_ should've seen it coming but you, Jason, did nothing wrong. You _saved_ me."

Lucius and Narcissa looked surprised at the age he named for Rita but they remained silent. The two Rangers seemed to have forgotten anyone else was present.

Jason responded, "I totally failed you and if it wasn't for your strength, we would have failed the whole world. _You_ saved _me_."

"Guys," Billy interrupted their old argument. "You haven't settled this argument in five years, I somehow doubt it'll be solved today. Perhaps you should continue your story to these people?"

Tommy and Jason both stopped, turned to them with matching expressions. After a moment, Tommy nodded. "Thanks Blue Boy," he breathed before continuing. "I joined their team after the spell was broken and we fought against her for the next year. Then Lord Zedd showed."

Tommy fell silent, trying to decide what he was willing to say. Neither Jason nor Billy were willing to tell any of the story from there. Whatever was said about Zedd, especially to these people, it needed to come from Tommy.

***

Continued -- Looking forward to your reviews!


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Lord Zedd of Nim," Tommy breathed, breaking the long silence. "The Dark Emperor, Master of the Green Dragon Line. Never heard his true name, never saw his true face. Not once in four years. They call us legendary, the Power Rangers of Earth are known throughout the whole 'verse, there are songs of our actions. Our stories are told to their children and taught in their schools. All Power Rangers know of us and speak of our stories when they need something to inspire them in the hard times. All because of five years of action. Five years. It's nothing. These worlds, the shortest average lifetime among them is 100,000 years. Five years isn't even a blink of an eye to them. You know why we're legendary?"

Draco shook his head. "Why?"

"Because it's Zedd," Tommy stated. "Because he is legend. Nimians are one of the longest living species in existence. Zedd's around 70,000 years old now and he's still young, still growing in power. So basically that means he's never before been as powerful as he has while we've faced him these last four years. Yet never in his life has it taken him over a single year to defeat any force, including many Ranger teams larger than ours. He is his enemies greatest fear, his people revere him. He is legendary and he has been since he first claimed his line of Power, the Green Dragon, when he was one hundred years old. -- I've known all these things about him since _I_ first touched the Green Dragon Power."

Tommy stood and moved to the window, magically placed to show the grounds even though the room was in the middle of the manor. He stared out the window at nothing as he continued, "The Green Line taught me so much about him, my own experiences added to that. And he knew so much about me from that first moment I touched that power as well, he learned more through the years. So much information but we neither one knew what was so much more important. Not until Severus drew his attention at least." He chuckled humorlessly. "Lord Zedd Uainedragan. My father." He sighed. "We found this out right after his killed Kimmy. My love."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Finally, Jason sighed and said, "I can't believe I'm saying this but Kim's death isn't so much Zedd's fault." He waited but Tommy didn't even turn to face them. "I mean, Zedd's never used lethal force against us. Not once in four years. I kinda got the impression that's because he knew how any of us dying would effect you, even when he didn't know you were his son. Even analyzing that fight, you know it wasn't lethal force against any of us. Just against Zordon. Kim only died 'cause she was already injured when she --" Jason stopped abruptly. "It was no one's fault."

Tommy turned around and met Jason's eyes. "No one's fault? Kimmy just died in a battle against Zedd's forces that I was leading. She died from throwing herself in front of a blast that would have hit me and knocked me out but not killed me. If I hadn't --"

"No," Jason cut him off as he crossed the space between them, stopping within reach of Tommy but not touching. "You are not responsible for Kimberly's death."

Tears filled Tommy's eyes but not one fell. "She died because of me," he breathed.

"No. She died for you, not because of you. She made her own choice bro. You didn't make the choice for her, you couldn't. No one could. She made the choice out of love. You can't hate yourself for her loving you."

Tommy turned away again. Jason said, "You've said you'd die for me, you'd give your soul for me. Would it be my fault if you did?"

"No," Tommy said.

"Then you cannot blame yourself for Kim loving you as much as you love her. And don't blame yourself for still loving your father either. You don't have to blame him for her choices, Tommy." Jason stepped to Tommy's side, placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I know my sister well enough to know she'd kick your ass for doing so. I know she'd expect you to do what makes you happy, bro. We all can see that what makes you happy is having your father alive and in your life again."

Tears escaped Tommy's eyes. "I miss her," he breathed.

Jason wrapped his arms around Tommy, held him tightly. "I know, bro. I miss her too."


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"There is something I was wondering," Severus smoothly said, breaking the heavy silence. When the three Rangers looked to him, he continued, "Why did Dumbledore feel the need to purchase your supplies himself? I saw your expression, Thomas. It seems you were unsurprised yet found it humorous."

Tommy smirked. "It shows the man signs treaties without understanding them."

Billy commented, "Now I'm curious."

"The Yyshan Wiondropa includes the line 'Fiacha a bheith ort coinnioll cunamh'," Tommy explained.

"If I understand that correctly, that basically means if any signer or any that call upon the treaty is indebted to a signer then they are required through a Power binding agreement to aid in whatever endeavor the other wishes as repayment of the debt?"

"Correct."

"And how does this have to do with --" Billy broke off suddenly, laughing aloud as the answer occurred to him. "He thinks indebted means **_monetarily_**?"

Draco asked, "If it has nothing to do with money, what does it mean?"

"He would have to endanger himself before anyone could be indebted to him without them opening the invitation themselves," Tommy stated. "My team is not indebted to anyone though many are indebted to us. When I arrived here requesting aid for Kimmy, I opened the possibility of being indebted without danger. If he or his people saved her, we would have owed a debt. Since she died, we do not. If we were endangered and he or his people, through connection to him and not any connection to us, were to rescue us themselves, we would be indebted."

"I'm not sure I understand," Draco admitted.

Tommy explained, "As an example, the Tefonian Empire owes us a double debt. I single-handedly rescued both Prince Trey and Prince Rand. Then, when Rand was mortally injured and I offered to restore him, when he accepted he … basically agreed to, um, place his loyalty to me above even his own Empire in an eternal bond. The Tefonian Empire owes me the debt for rescuing Prince Rand because it was done before that bond was formed. If he was in trouble now and I rescued him, it would not be a debt for their empire because Rand is my man. If it was Prince Trey though, there would be another debt. However, if we bought them dinner it would not indebt them at all, even if they asked for the price of the meal in loan," Tommy said with a laugh. "Dumbledore has no idea of the meaning of the treaty he signed therefore he's acting like spending a bit of money could indebt us to him when we never even asked for it. So I just laughed silently and let him gift us with the purchases. He'll figure it out eventually. Or not. I don't care."

Tommy took a sip of his forgotten tea, thankful for the magic that kept it at just the right temperature. "Now, as much fun as it is to just sit around and talk about myself," he said with a sarcastic lilt, "I would suggest we open that rather large pile of presents. I'm surprised Dray's lasted so long without touching them."

"I completely forgot them!" Draco said, shocked at himself. He rushed to the presents but froze halfway there as they all felt the manor's wards breached.

Tommy's communicator chimed, he tossed it to Jason as he moved with the Malfoys and Severus to confront whatever broke the wards. Jason and Billy followed after them slower, as Jason answered the call and Billy stayed with him.

'Who is this?' the voice over the communicator demanded when Jason answered.

"You called us," Jason almost hissed. Five years of Rangering long ago taught him not to immediately respond with his name when asked that question. He knew how dangerous it could be if it an enemy found their way onto their communication channel.

'I called the Earth leader. You are not him.'

"Earth leader?" Billy murmured. "They do know we don't rule this world, right?"

"Who cares what they think," Jason responded. To the caller, he said, "I'm a Ranger. Why are you calling?"

A slight hesitation, then, 'A great mass of dark energy is moving in your direction, Earth Ranger.'

Billy and Jason rounded the final corner and came out behind Tommy and the others. Across from them was a large gathering of black robed wizards and witches with skull masks surrounding a centralized black robed figure. "Yeah," Jason breathed. He cut the connection.

***

Continued -- Sorry for the shortness of the chapter. Let me know what you think.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Billy pressed the command to call the other Rangers as he stepped up to Tommy's left and Jason moved to Tommy's right. The Malfoys and Severus stood just behind them, wands drawn and pointed at the massive gathering.

"Blood Traitor," the central man spat, his red gaze locked on Tommy. Tommy assumed this man must be the 'dark lord' Severus mentioned, Voldemort. "I come to most generously offer you a chance to spare your and your mudblood 'friends' lives. All you must do is hand over those enchanted items that rightly belong to me."

Zack, Trini, and Kat teleported in as he was speaking. Tommy sneered at his words but largely ignored him. "Kaksi," he said softly and the Rangers moved. Billy stepped over to join Trini, still on Tommy's left but at a greater distance. Zack and Kat moved to mirror them on Jason's right while Jason stepped just a bit closer to Tommy. Kat felt nervous as she had yet to actually take part in a Ranger fight. Tommy's eyes scanning the Death Eaters, landing on a slightly shorter one towards the back.

Voldemort fumed at being so blatantly ignored. "Hand them over now or--"

Tommy cut him off. Speaking so his voice carried without seeming to be raised, he said, "Theodore Nott."

The Death Eater he was staring at flinched at being so easily identified. Voldemort even forgot to react as he stood stunned at the ease with which Tommy saw through the mask, the casual and comfortable way the boy stood and spoke, the easy dismissal of them all.

Tommy explained to his Rangers, "When I was teaching Billy the little magics of this place, we practiced with Nott there."

Draco laughed, feeling safe to do so with Tommy standing in front of him. "Don't you mean _**practiced on**_?"

"Incidental information," Tommy brushed it off, smirking. "We made a mistake, my Rangers. We should never have become so fettered in the bigger things that we forgot to watch the school full of powered children, even if they are all from a more fettered and lower power than any we've dealt with before." He caught Kat's eyes and smiled, trying to relax her. "But never mind that now. Kat does need battle experience and these fools are a better start than jumping into the galactic battles right off."

Tommy finally turned his gaze to Voldemort. "You presume much, creature. We have nothing that 'rightfully belongs' to you. Ranger Coins are Soul Bonds, a magic and Power beyond this world. So, by the mere nature of their existence, it 'rightfully' belongs to anyone that successfully holds and is embraced by the Power. Even if there was a Coin that would have accepted you at one time, that would no longer apply as you have torn your own soul apart from your fear of death that even the weakest Power would refuse you."

Voldemort was seething as he pulled his wand. Tommy rolled his eyes and casually told his Rangers, "Morphin' time."

The five morphed as Voldemort hissed, "Avada Kedavra!"

Tommy didn't morph, didn't move. He simply smirked as he watched the green light of the spell heading straight towards him. He was still smirking as the green light hit him, entered him, was absorbed by him. Tommy stepped towards Voldemort, his eyes that had been brown the entire time the Rangers knew him now glowed green.

Voldemort was frightened but refused to show it. _An equal,_ he thought to himself as he met this boy's eyes. Though he viciously denied it even to himself, refusing the thought to form, he was all too aware that the level of Power shown in that one act showed this boy to be well above him.

"Foolish creature," Tommy stated. "You try to kill a Green Ranger with a low powered green spell? Even if I didn't hold that Coin, such a spell could never harm me. I am an Uainedragan. The Power of the Green Dragon is in my blood, it is my birthright."

"So true," Zedd said as he appeared beside his son. Goldar and Scorpina stood just behind them. The other Rangers looked unsure whether they should act or not. Tommy noticed this and motioned them to stay back with the smallest of gestures. Zedd continued, "Though it is most pleasing to hear you say the words."

Tommy turned to Zedd … his father, still unsure what to think of him. "Consider it your _Christmas_ gift then."

Voldemort made his move while Tommy was turned towards his father. He aimed his wand passed them, towards his once trusted servant. "Avada Kedavra!" he hissed again.

Tommy turned at this, saw the spell flying towards Severus and growled angrily. Before Tommy could think of any way to save his uncle, Zedd stepped in and conjured a shield around Severus and the Malfoys. Seeing this, Tommy focused on Voldemort. He didn't morph, he didn't draw his wand. Instead, he simply waved his hand, and power crashed down around the so-called dark lord. Voldemort screamed in agony as he fell to his knees. Tommy's magic showed pathways connected off from Voldemort's form and he severed them, killing the fragmented parts of the man's soul before allowing the power to take the life remaining within Voldemort's form. The Power dissipated from the air as Voldemort fell lifeless and the Death Eaters apparated away.

Tommy met Zedd's eyes once it was over. "You saved my uncle."

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

_You saved my uncle._ A simple statement of fact, said calmly, yet it held within it so much more meaning. It was laden with so many questions, filled with the sorrow of years without family, the anger and pain of years of war, the confusion the discovery of his father in his enemy brought forth.

All these meanings sat heavily in the air as the silence stretched. Many possible replies played through Zedd's mind only to be immediately discarded. The five Rangers powered down at Jason's command but no one moved. They'd agreed to avoid confrontation with Zedd and his forces unless they made the first move until Tommy decided how he wished to react to the changed circumstances. It was basically how they'd started out in the war, though that 'never escalate a battle' rule disappeared not long after Zedd's arrival.

"I did," Zedd finally responded, in the same soft and calm tone Tommy had spoken.

A hint of a smile touched Tommy's lips at this as he heard the unspoken meanings hidden in Zedd's simple words.

Off to the side, Trini chuckled. "I always wondered about Tommy's ability to convey so much in so little," she commented to Billy though she made sure her voice would travel to Tommy as she spoke. "Apparently he inherited it from his father."

Tommy glanced at her, smiled as he saw the acceptance in her eyes. He started to respond when Draco's voice caught his attention.

"Sev?" Draco quietly asked. "How could Tommy do that? I thought the prophesy said only Potter could kill him."

"Divination is imprecise at best," Severus stated.

Tommy frowned at this. In his opinion, the Wizardry World tended to crazy where prophesies were involved. Worse than any other world he knew. "It's probably too much to hope those masked freaks will keep what happened here to themselves," he commented, thinking aloud.

Zedd chuckled. "These people never gave me the impression they are intelligent enough to avoid incriminating themselves."

"Potter most likely saw it and announced his vision to everyone still in Hogwarts the moment it occurred," Severus said.

Knowing of no wizardry magics that would accomplish such a thing, Tommy asked, "How would he see that?"

"The brat had a connection to Voldemort through the scar left from when Voldemort tried to kill him when he was a baby. Because of that I was stuck trying to teach the incompetent brat occlumency. Are you okay?" he demanded as Tommy paled.

"What House?" Tommy demanded, vaguely recalling someone he'd met there introducing themselves as Potter but unable to immediately place who or where. _Shit,_ he thought. _That last pathway I severed was different. If those pathways were Horcruxes … he made a living Horcrux. Was he really that stupid or was it an accident? I've no problem killing some murderous freak but I can't let that boy die too. I don't kill innocent children._

"Gry--"

"Jason, lead the way," Tommy ordered. "Everyone else wait here."

The two Rangers teleported out, reappearing in the Gryffindor common room.

"Jason!" Ginny Weasley called out the moment they appeared. "Harry collapsed! We were just talking and he grabbed his scar and collapsed!"

"I know," Tommy said in response as he stepped passed the girl and knelt beside Harry. He placed his hand on Harry's forehead, unperturbed by the blood that had spilled from the reopened scar. A green glow surrounded Tommy and Harry, fading from Tommy and remaining around Harry as Tommy removed his hand and turned to where Jason and Ginny stood. "I can't fix it all, he's too close to the edge. I'm taking him to someone that I believe will help."

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Knowing that Harry was passed the point the Tefonians could help him, Tommy took him to the most advanced healer he knew. So he teleported not to a set location but rather reached out for his father's essence and allowed Zedd to control the teleport. He appeared in the throne room of the moon palace with Harry in his arms.

He met his father's eyes. "Can you heal him?"

Zedd kept his expression emotionless as he stepped forward and began to scan the child in Tommy's arms. Inside he was cheering though. His son came to him for help. This was his chance. "What caused this? Something in your uncle's words told you he was in danger."

"I knew of no wizardry magic that could cause the type connection Sev described until he said it was through the scar from when Voldemort tried to kill him," Tommy explained. "When I killed Voldemort I saw and destroyed several pathways leading off from his soul, as well as saw the remains of one pathway that had already been destroyed. These pathways were created by the splitting of his soul and storing a piece of it in some object as a Horcrux, foolishly thinking it'd make him immortal. The last pathway was different from the others. Whether purposely or accidentally, he made a Horcrux out of this boy. When I severed that connection …"

Zedd finished, "It sent the child into shock as he's carried this piece of soul within him most of his life." He finished his scans and found only one way to save the child. "We can save him, my son. However only we can do so. I must ask why you wish him saved. Is it simply guilt driving you or is he worthy?" Zedd knew he wouldn't have to explain. Though he was unaware of who his son saved before, Zedd had felt two separate moments when Tommy shared his life force with others. Therefore Tommy already knew exactly how intense the connection forged with such a process.

Tommy didn't speak for a long moment. He looked down at the fifteen year old boy in his arms. They were the same age yet this boy looked younger. He was small for their age, too light. He'd obviously had a hard life. Tommy wasn't sure why he wanted to save this boy so badly. It didn't feel like just guilt yet he knew almost nothing of Harry. He just seemed drawn to help, just like the children he helped off the streets in Angel Grove or the times he'd stepped between some adult abusing a child.

"I can place him in stasis," Zedd offered. "It would give us another day."

Tommy nodded. "I think I need to find out more about him."

Zedd wrapped his magic around Harry then motioned Goldar forward to take the child from Tommy's arms. "It will last twenty four hours only."

Tommy nodded and teleported out.

***

Tommy teleported back to the Gryffindor common room where Jason was reassuring the other Gryffindors that Harry was in good hands. Everyone turned to Tommy as he appeared, questioning Harry's condition. Even though most the House had gone home for the holidays, those that remained still managed to create a deafening sound.

Tommy ignored them for the moment. He met Jason's eyes and stated, "I need to know more about him."

Jason frowned in confusion for just a second before it occurred to him what Tommy wasn't saying. Harry Potter was mortally wounded and Tommy wanted to know if he should share his life force with the boy. Jason took a deep breath and slowly let it out, centering himself. Then he formally stated, "Everything I've seen is yours to see, Grid Master."

Without another word, Tommy used the connection formed when he shared his life force with Jason to view every memory Jason had that was even slightly connected with Harry Potter.

"_Do you really believe you're a better team from ignoring everyone? 'Cause that sounds like a stupid reason not to make friends."_

"_Who are you?" Jason asked._

"_I'm Harry Potter. My friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."_

"_You ever been in war, kid?"_

_Harry laughed while Hermione summoned a book and thrust it at Jason. "You really don't know who I am." _

_Jason skimmed the text. "Tough start. Doesn't answer my question though."_

_Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione called more books over. "'Moine lay off the books," he said before turning to Jason. "Voldemort didn't die that night, he just became incorporeal. He came back. When I was eleven, my first year here, he possessed our DADA Professor. I ended up facing him alone and Quirrel died, Voldemort ended up without a body to possess again. Second year, a uh … this'll sound weird but a memory of Voldemort from when he was a student here opened the Chamber of Secrets and set a basilisk loose on the school. Our defense professor was a fake who tried to obliviate me and Ron when we went to him for help. I found the chamber and again faced him alone, killed the basilisk and destroyed the possessed diary that held the memory. Third year, the year we had a real defense course, everyone thought the escaped convict that betrayed my parents was after me and we had to deal with Dementors guarding the school. Turned out Sirius was innocent and he was trying to take out the true betrayer. Fourth year I was entered against my will in the TriWizard Tournament by a Death Eater posing as our defense professor. When Cedric and I won, we touched the Cup and it turned out to be a portkey that took us to a graveyard where Wormtail, the betrayer, killed Cedric and used my blood to resurrect Voldemort. I know war."_

_Jason and Zack nodded in agreement. Jason asked, "How many close friends do you have then? I bet it's not that big a number and I bet you've tried to push them away too."_

_Harry nodded. "You lied to your friend then."_

"_No. -- Yes. I really meant it that our closeness as a team is one of our greatest strengths but that doesn't really keep anyone else out. I just couldn't tell __**Tommy**__ the full reason."_

_Zack said, "It's easier not to let anyone close. -- I was seriously dating a girl, Natasha, when the first attack occurred and Zordon chose the five of us as Rangers. I kept dating her even though it was hard to explain why I was late or skipped out early or just didn't show sometimes since we couldn't tell anyone we were Rangers. She didn't understand but she trusted me and we stayed together. Then in … uh, let's say one of Rita's first successes against us, Natasha died. It wasn't even because we were together, she was just a casualty. Wrong place at the wrong time kinda thing. And Natasha, she was just a girl, human. She didn't stand a chance. I didn't even know it at the time. She wasn't at school the next day and I called her after classes. I'd thought she'd just taken a sick day. I never imagined …" Zack broke off, wiped a tear from his eyes. "Anyway, I've kept a distance from non-Rangers since then. Flirted a few times but always with girls I knew would say no."_

"_Mine was targeted," Jason said. "My parents and little sister were killed because I am the Red Tyrannosaurus Dino Ranger, I am the leader. They wanted to hurt me, to break me. It didn't work." Jason paused. "They failed but my family is still just as dead. So I keep a distance. Rangers are already targets, no reason to give them powerless ones."_

"_Why didn't you tell Tommy this?" Harry questioned._

"_Because he's Tommy. He's __**the **__target in the war. There's always been obvious reasons for that; Tommy's the most talented of us, the most powerful, the greatest. But it's also always felt like the logical reasons for him to be targeted had little to do with anything. But anyway, telling Tommy that reason would be like telling him to distance himself from us. 'Cause compared to Tommy, we're the ones like my family or Zack's Natasha."_

_Harry looked thoughtful. "I think Tommy's right. Yeah, our friends do become targets but they're also what give you the strength to fight. I'm afraid for my friends all the time but if I didn't have them, I would have given up along time ago. I'd die for my beliefs, I'd die so people I don't know can live in freedom and safety but I __**live**__ for my friends. I think that's why Tommy was telling all of you to try and let others in, he wanted you to have more to live for. You make your own choice in that but if you decide to quit letting your enemies and your fears run your life, I'd be proud to call you friends."_

_Jason and Zack just stared at him for a long moment. Jason spoke first. "Powers, you sound like Tommy. I'd be honored to have you as a friend, Harry."_

The memories continued, showing normal life within Hogwarts. Them watching Harry play Quidditch then Harry teaching them to fly and how to play. Studying. Playing Wizard Chess or Exploding Snap. Classes. When they finished, Tommy commented, "I knew you lied that day, Jas. I wasn't sure if you were lying to me or yourself."

Jason ignored the comment and asked, "What will you do?"

"Find out more about him, from people that have known him longer. Anyone in here willing to let me view their memories of Harry Potter?"

Ginny Weasley immediately volunteered. Tommy gently entered her memories, viewing her early years as she listened to the 'legend' and developed her first crush. Her seeing him for the first time when she went to see off her siblings when Ron started at Hogwarts, her listening as Ron returned from his first year with wild stories of his exploits with Harry and Hermione. Ginny's first year and her experiences with being possessed by Tom Riddle's Diary until she was saved by Harry with only seconds to spare within the Chamber of Secrets. The next years at Hogwarts when Harry would catch her when she was off alone and brooding over those memories from first year. How Harry helped her talk about it, never judging. Or would just sit in silence when that's what she needed. Ginny returning the favor in searching him out when Harry needed someone to talk to about all the trouble that always found him. The original crush on the legend changing into a true and deep friendship with the real person as she grew to realize how much of the legend was fake and to see that the real person was so much more.

Tommy viewed a few more of the Gryffindors memories before thanking them and teleporting out. Jason frowned as his best friend and brother disappeared. Tommy never did say what he was going to do about Harry.

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

Tommy returned to the Malfoys and immediately asked Zack to show him all his memories of Harry Potter. Zack's memories mostly followed Jason's with very few separate ones.

"Sev, would you allow me to view your memories of Harry Potter?" Tommy questioned.

Severus barely stopped himself from sneering at the name. He hesitated upon answering though. "If I say no?"

"Then you say no. Your memories are your own, I would never force my way into another's memories."

He raised an eyebrow at that. It didn't answer his question as he was unafraid of a child attempting to overcome his Occumency shields but rather what a negative answer would do to their barely patched relationship.

"Why are you wanting memories of Harry?" Kat asked into the silence.

Tommy hesitated. "I need to know more about him."

Kat frowned in confusion as his answer told her nothing. It sounded more like an avoidance than an answer to her. Billy heard something else though. He asked, "Whatever that connection your uncle's words told you about, it's killing the kid, isn't it?"

"More like … by most world's standards he is dead," Tommy responded softly. "He's in a state of suspended animation at the moment, I … have the ability to save him. But to heal someone so close to the edge … it creates a -- a deep and permanent connection. It is not something that can be given lightly."

"You've done it twice?" Trini asked. "That's what you're talking about, right?"

Tommy nodded. "Jason was easy. He's always been the brother of my heart, by the time he was … hurt, I could no longer imagine life without him there. Rand and I knew and respected each other deeply. Both understood the offer when I made it, too."

"You may see my memories," Severus finally said.

Tommy nodded his head slightly to his uncle, almost but not quite a bow. Then he silently entered Severus's memories connected to Harry Potter.

_First day of first year potions, Severus gave his usual opening speech. Seeing Harry writing while he spoke, Severus said, "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to __**not pay attention**__." He stalked over to Harry's table. "Ah, yes. Harry Potter. Our new -- celebrity._

"_Tell me what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" A pause during which Harry looked lost and Hermione Granger raised her hand. Severus continued, "You don't know. Well let's try again. Where mr. potter would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"_

"_I don't know sir," Harry quietly responded._

"_And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"_

"_I don't know sir."_

"_Pity. Clearly fame isn't everything, is it Mr. Potter."_

_Even as he turned from the boy, he found himself remembering the prophesy and wondering if it was possible it truly applied to this boy. If it did, was there truly any hope for any of them?_

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."_

Still within the memories, Tommy smirked at this. He wondered when it would occur to his uncle that since Tommy was born at the very last minute of July 31st that those words could apply to him as well. And he definitely fit better that 'power' the so-called 'dark lord knows not'. From his conversations with Severus since he returned to the wizardry world, he knew his family had 'defied' Voldemort many times over so it was no stretch to imagine they'd done so three times by the time he was born. Tommy suspected the wizardry world took that line to mean the parents but in Tommy's experience with prophesies from around the 'verse, it was just as likely to be refering to aunts or uncles or grandparents or even cousins.

The next memory took Tommy's attention.

_With a troll loose in Hogwarts, and all students ordered to their common rooms, Severus, McGonagall and Quirrel found Harry, Ron and Hermione in a girls bathroom. The troll was unconscious on the floor, surrounded by debris._

"_Oh my goodness," McGonagall said upon seeing the troll down and Harry and Ron standing over it. "Explain yourselves, both of you."_

_The boys started stumbling over a reply, Severus caught Harry's eyes and used the slightly bit of Legimency upon him to decern the truth. Harry had realized the girl wasn't present to hear the warning about the troll and they'd rushed to this bathroom to warn her only to find her trapped by the troll. They ended up fighting it and eventually managed to luck into knocking it out. _

_But this wasn't what any of them said. Instead, Hermione drew attention to herself by saying, "It's my fault Professor McGonagall."_

"_Miss Granger?"_

"_I went looking for the troll. I'd read about them and thought that I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Harry and Ron hadn't come looking for me, I'd probably be dead."_

"_Be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing to do. I would have expected more rational behavior on your part and am very disappointed in you Miss Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor. For your serious lack of judgment." McGonagall turned back to the boys. "As for you two gentlemen. I just hope you realize how fortunate you are. Not many first year students could take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Five points will be awarded to each of you for sheer dumb luck." _

_As they cleared out, Severus couldn't help but wonder why those three Gryffindors felt the need to lie when the truth was much less foolish._

The memories continued on, sometimes Severus seeing Harry for himself, sometimes only seeing his father. Harry switched back and forth between childish actions and heroic stands. Then more recent memories appeared, of occlumency lessons.

_Severus explained, "The usual rules do not seem to apply to you, Potter. The curse that failed to kill you seems to have forged some kind of connection between you and the Dark Lord. The evidence suggests that at times, when your mind is most relaxed and vulnerable -- when you are asleep, for instance -- you are sharing the Dark Lord's thoughts and emotions. The headmaster thinks it inadvisable for this to continue. He wishes me to teach you how to close your mind to the Dark Lord."_

…

_"I told you to empty yourself of emotion!"_

_"Yeah? Well, I'm finding that hard at the moment," Harry snarled._

_"Then you will find yourself easy prey for the Dark Lord! Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked this easily -- weak people, in other words -- they stand no chance against his powers! He will penetrate your mind with absurd ease, Potter!"_

Suddenly the memories changed from Harry Potter to the boy's father when they were in Hogwarts.

_"This will liven you up, Padfoot," said James Potter quietly. "Look who it is..."_

_"Excellent," Sirius Black said softly. "__**Snivellus**__."_

_Severus was on his feet again, and was stowing the O.W.L. paper in his bag. As he emerged from the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up. Lupin and Wormtail remained sitting: Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows. Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Severus with a look of avid anticipation on his face._

_"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly. _

_Severus reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack. Dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes, and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted "__**Expelliarmus**__!"_

_Severus's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "__**Impedimenta**__!" he said, pointing his wand at Severus, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive toward his own fallen wand. _

_Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained. _

_Severus lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands up, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view. _

_"How'd the exam go Snivelly?" said James._

_"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."_

_"Leave him ALONE!" Lily Evans shouted. She had her own want out now._

_James and Sirius looked around. James's free hand jumped to his hair again even as he and Sirius eyed her wand warily. _

_"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly._

_"Take the curse off him, then!"_

_James sighed deeply, then turned to Severus and muttered the counter curse._

_"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet again, "you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus--"_

_"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" he spat angrily in his embarrassment. He regretted the ugly word the moment it left his lips but it was already too late._

It returned to Harry Potter again, and Tommy saw immediately why the other memory connected to the son now. He also saw what Severus was unable to see; the truth of Harry's reaction.

_Severus walked in to find Harry Potter in his pensive, viewing the memories of being bullied by the boy's father. He pulled the boy back out angrily._

_"So," said Severus, gripping Harry's arm tightly. "So ... been enjoying yourself, Potter?"_

_"N-no ..." said Harry, trying to free his arm._

_"Amusing man, your father, wasn't he?" said Severus, shaking Harry so hard that his glasses slipped down his nose._

_"I -- didn't --"_

_Severus threw Harry from him, fighting to control it so he didn't actually hurt the child. Harry fell hard onto the dungeon floor._

_"You will not repeat what you saw to anybody!" Severus bellowed._

_"No," said Harry, getting to his feet as far from Severus as he could, "No, of course I w--"_

_"Get out, get out, I don't want to see you in this office ever again!" _

_And as Harry hurtled toward the door, a jar of dead cockroaches exploded over his head. _

A memory of speaking with the Minster of Magic came then, the only part of the whole ordeal that stayed in his memories.

_The Minister said, "Ah well, Snape ... Harry Potter, you know ... we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned." _

_"And yet -- is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student."_

As the memories came to an end, Tommy commented softly, "You seem to have a bit of a problem differentiating between the boy and his father, Sev. Harry saw his bully cousin in that memory of yours he viewed. How did you miss processing that thought, Sev?"

Tommy didn't give Severus a chance to react to those words before he turned to Draco.

Before he could ask, Draco said, "You can see my memories. Just ignore the first year, okay?"

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Tommy entered Draco's memories and smiled at how young the other sounded at eleven. It was something Tommy found himself slightly jealous of, Draco had the chance to just be a child while Tommy was fighting a war.

"_My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," Draco drawled to the boy he'd just met inside Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms, ,I don't see why the first-years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow." Draco continued speaking, never noticing as the other boy tensed at this and slowly backed away._

_Later, on the Hogwarts Express, Draco found the same boy with a red headed boy and a bushy haired girl. This time though, Draco had heard the rumors and he checked for the scar. Finding it, he said, "So it's true. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."_

_The red head snickered. Draco scowled and struck back at the boy for laughing at him. "Think my name's funny do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." Turning back to Harry, he continued, "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He held his hand out._

_Harry just looked at him for a long moment. It was obvious to Tommy that by this time, Harry had already made friends with Ron and Hermione so he was unsurprised when Harry said, "I think I can see the wrong sort for myself, thanks."_

The first year continued in this manner, with every confrontation between Draco and Harry going badly. It wasn't always Draco's doing but all too often it was. Tommy saw why Draco asked him to ignore the whole year. It was interesting, however, how Draco's actions inadvertently led to Harry's making the Gryffindor Quidditch team as the youngest Seeker in a century.

The year ended and the next memory jumped to shopping for second-year supplies.

"_What's the good of it is I'm not in the house team?" Draco sulked at his father's offer of the best broom on the market. They entered Flourish and Blotts as he spoke. "Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good," Draco tried to convince himself, "it's just because he's __**famous**__ -- famous for having a stupid __**scar**__ on his forehead."_

_Draco barely paid attention to the crowds gathered for the book signing by that idiot Lockhart. "Everyone thinks he's so __**smart**__," he pouted, "wonderful __**Potter**__ with his __**scar**__ and his __**broomstick**__--"_

"_You have told me this at least a dozen times already," Lucius cut his son off._

_Draco looked up and finally took notice of the crowds. And Harry Potter in the center of attention beside that idiot Lockhart. Harry's placement caused a thrill of jealousy through Draco that he almost missed the announcement that Defense would be completely useless this year since the idiot Lockhart was to be their professor._

_Draco caught up with Harry as the other boy left the shop. "Bet you loved that, didn't you Potter?" Draco said. "__**Famous**__ Harry Potter. Can't even go into a __**bookshop **__without making the front page."_

"_Jealous, Malfoy?" Harry sneered._

"_Jealous? Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special myself."_

_Harry's eyes met Draco's and Draco fell silent. At that moment he saw in Harry's eyes that he agreed with Draco's assessment there. Draco suddenly realized the fame only meant trouble and pain to the other boy. That Harry wanted nothing to do with it, that at best it was just a reminder of what all he'd lost. The jealousy faded from Draco as he thought about losing his parents like that, and remembered losing his best friend. He wondered how he'd handle it if the world suddenly decided to see him as they did Harry Potter simply because Thomas Uainedragan disappeared._

_The confrontational air disappeared from Draco, causing a hint of confusion to cross Harry's face. Draco wanted to say something to the other boy but at that moment, all the Weasleys exited the store and Lucius was back and the moment was gone._

_The next real interaction between them came at school, in the dueling club. Draco really wanted to curse Snape when his Head of House decided that Draco and Harry should be the first students to duel in front of everyone._

_The duel started and Draco wanted to laugh. Harry was good, as he'd expected of someone with top marks in Defense. What surprised him was that Harry didn't fight like a Gryffindor, he fought like a Slytherin. He noticed Harry was grinning, enjoying the match. Draco decided to liven it up a bit with an unorthodox move. "Serpensortia!"_

_The serpent burst into existence and flew to land just short of Harry. Draco watched in surprise as instead of defending against the serpent, Harry relaxed completely. Then Draco almost fell over in shock when Harry hissed at the snake. Hissed! Draco never heard anyone speak Parseltongue before, what with the last known speaker being vanquished when Draco was a baby, but there was no doubt he was hearing it now. And Harry didn't seem to realize the significance. He was speaking Parseltongue in front of all their year when the whole school was freaking out over the Chamber of Secrets being opened and the Heir of Slytherin supposedly trying to kill muggleborns. This was not good._

_Draco's fears proved true. The whole school seemed turned against Harry Potter now. Draco watched and finally found his chance. It was just him and Harry in the whole corridor. Draco didn't think, he just grabbed the other boy's arm and pulled him into an empty room, shutting the door behind them._

"_What the bloody hell!" Harry reacted._

"_Sorry," Draco said. "I just needed to speak to you without stupid people interrupting. Since so many seem to think you're out to kill them, finding a place without stupid people is hard."_

_Harry gave him a measuring look. "So you don't think I'm evil 'cause I'm a parselmouth?"_

"_No. It's just an ability, like being born with magic. Muggles have called us all evil for that but it doesn't make it true."_

"_No. You just think being born without magic makes you less than--"_

"_I never said that," Draco cut him off. "I know we got off to a bad start but that doesn't mean you have the right to call me evil here."_

"_Dumbledore said your whole family supports Voldemort."_

"_He's lying. Or at least wrong." Draco ran an hand through his hair. "Look, my Grandfather was his supporter but that's it. Everyone thinks my parents followed him but they never did. Never. Grandfather tried to force them to take the Dark Mark but my best friend's father protected them. We're loyal to the Uainedragans, no one else."_

"_Uainedragan?"_

_Draco looked sad. "You don't know them. My best friend, Thomas, he disappeared along time ago. Not long after that, his mum was found dead, his home destroyed and his father gone and assumed dead in the destruction. -- Look, that's not what I needed to tell you. I just, I understand, okay. I know how it feels to be seen as evil when you're not. I know what it is to lose someone too and I can't imagine being seen as famous for losing him so … I'm sorry about everything I've said. I wasn't thinking."_

_Harry thought on that then nodded. "It's okay. Well, it's not okay but I forgive you."_

_Draco smiled. "Thanks. So I'm here if you need to talk or anything. You're not alone."_

"_Neither are you," Harry responded before walking out the door._

From there, the two boys often found the other when they needed someone to understand. They weren't ever seen together, House rivalries made them feel it wasn't safe, but they never failed to be there for the other.

As the memories finished playing, Tommy stood for a long moment just taking it all in, forming his own ideas on Harry Potter from the many different views perceived.

"I'll be back soon," Tommy said. He teleported out.

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"Hi Finster," Tommy said as he entered the room and saw the healer checking on Harry.

"My Prince," Finster bowed lightly. "The child is still safe within the stasis. Shall I inform your father you are here?"

"No need," Zedd informed as he stepped inside. "You may leave us, Finster."

Finster bowed but made no move to leave. "If I may, my Lord. You mean to heal this child?"

Zedd looked to Tommy who answered, "Yes."

"The boy is very near death, Lords. I respectfully request I be allowed to monitor you while you heal him."

Tommy wasn't paying them any attention anymore. He'd moved closer to Harry's bed, his hand hovered over the other boy's cheek, not quite touching but feeling drawn to offer comfort and safety. Even in stasis, Harry's spirit cried out for what he'd never truly known. "He's closer to death than either Jas or Rand were," he breathed to himself.

"Rand? The Tefonian Prince?" Zedd questioned, not expecting or receiving a response. He smiled softly as he watched his empathic son, seeing how drawn to the other boy he was. Whatever Tommy's reasons for wanting to save this other boy, it could not be simple guilt. "You may stay," he told Finster then he moved to his son's side.

Laying a hand on Tommy's shoulder, Zedd told him, "We can heal the child together, son. Just do as you did with your other two and I will lend you the extra Power you need."

Tommy smiled at this without looking up. He let his hand rest on Harry's cheek, his other hand over Harry's heart, and called upon the Power.

_Harry,_ Tommy's spirit called to the essence of the other boy.

_Who are you?_ Harry's voice questioned from a distance away. Tommy's spiritual presence moved towards the other boy's.

_You don't really know me. I'm Tommy Uainedragan. Green Dragon Thunder Ranger of the Power Rangers of Earth._ Tommy didn't even notice as he referred to himself by his true name. It had been a long time since he thought of himself by any name but Oliver, now Oliver was all but forgotten.

_Draco's friend._ Harry's presence relaxed at this thought. _You defeated Voldemort. What happened? I mean, where am I?_

Tommy explained about the Hocruxes, explained how Tommy recognized Harry as one of them because of how the scar connected Harry and Voldemort.

_So I'm dead?_

_Not quite,_ Tommy corrected. _You have a choice. I -- My father and I have the Power to heal you but it connects us. _

_Like you did with Jason? I remember that one guy, I think it was that prince you were talking to over the glowing stone, he asked him when he died and he said you stopped it. That guy asked when Jason was saying how you were feeling._

_Yes, like that. But there's more to it than feeling emotions. It connects us. I would know you completely afterwards and you'd see more of me than most ever could. I don't know what it would do to your natural lifespan. It might not effect it or it might make it so you could live as long as I can. _

Harry didn't respond for a long moment. _If I say no, I'll see my parents?_

_I suppose so,_ Tommy said to this. He knew the Grid, he knew what followed death for a Ranger as the Power was forever. But others, those not really part of the Grid, that was an unknown.

_But I'd leave my friends. And Sirius. I'm not sure Sirius could survive another loss, he's been through so much. But if I say yes … Will I be different?_

_I don't think so. I don't think Jas or Rand really changed. But I don't know. Every experience changes you some, I don't really know how you'll react. They were already connected to the Grid so it would be different for you._

_Son,_ Zedd's voice called out. _Time runs short. Please don't follow him in death._

Tommy turned at his father's voice. Turning back to Harry he said, _I hate to rush you. I wish I could explain more but you are very close to death now Harry. There just isn't anymore time. Yes or no?_

_I -- Yes,_ Harry finally responded. Tommy held out a hand and Harry took hold. A green light surrounded them, blindingly intense.

When the light cleared, Tommy saw Harry laying before him, felt his father's hand on his shoulder. Harry's eyes slowly opened and met Tommy's.

"Wow," Harry said, grinning. "That was amazing. Worth dying for. Temporarily at least."

Tommy rolled his eyes but he too was grinning. "It's a one time deal, Harry. Don't get yourself dead again."

"I know." He frowned. "It was weird though. Why did your memories skip around like that?"

"You saw my experiences that corresponded with something you've experienced. Nothing more. You didn't see the worst ones or the best ones since you haven't experienced anything like them."

"And you saw … everything?"

"I did."

"So -- so you _know_."

"Basically." Tommy paused, met Harry's eyes and stressed, "They _lied_, Harry. They are the worthless freaks, not you. And you, Harry, are _never_ going back there."

Harry smiled joyously. Then thinking about it, his grin fell and he shook his head. "They won't let me. Dumbledore won't --"

Tommy chuckled. "None of those people have Power anywhere near the weakest of ours. Besides Harry, you know where we are right this minute?"

"Uh, no," he admitted.

"My father's palace on the moon."

Harry's eyes grew big as he took in his surroundings, and the others present. Zedd grinned at his son's words.

Tommy continued, "If you look out the window over there, that ship you see is my command ship. You're safe with me. Think about it Harry. How the hell could any of them even attempt to stop me from protecting you?"

Harry stared out the window at the majestic ship then as the orbit changed to reveal the Earth below his eyes locked on the planet. It looked so small from here. He met Tommy's eyes again and the joyous smile returned. "I guess they can't."

***

Continued -- Let me know what you think


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

It was the second day back from Christmas holidays before Tommy and Harry left the moon, teleporting directly to Hogwarts Great Hall during breakfast. Silence fell for a moment, then applause broke out. Tommy ignored this as he greeted Severus.

"Lucius and Narcissa request you return this weekend to open your gifts, since you never returned," Severus commented.

"That sounds good. You'll come, Uncle Sev?" Tommy questioned, meeting Severus's eyes and letting him see his forgiveness.

Severus smiled. "I will."

Prince Rand teleported in and, at his appearance, Jason stood from the Gryffindor table and walked over to him. The two then approached Tommy and Harry.

"Bro," Jason greeted Tommy with a smile. "Good choice. -- Welcome to the Family, Harry."

Harry smiled shyly. Family was a much longed for dream. "Thanks."

Rand also welcomed Harry then told Tommy, "Trey and his Rangers will be returning to Father today. If you have no dispute, I would choose to stay here with you. My ties are strongest here."

"You're always welcome Rand. You're Family," Tommy responded. He hesitated, then asked, "How do you think your father will react to my found family?"

"I do not know. If it comes to the choice though, Trey will side with us."

Tommy nodded. "I hope it doesn't come to that." His gaze moved to the now quiet House tables. Just loud enough to be heard, he called, "Rangers."

The others joined them. Tommy informed them, "My brother Rand will be staying with us now." Trini smiled at this, blushing slightly. Tommy grinned at her. He motioned to Harry. "This is Harry Potter, my newest brother."

The Rangers welcomed him. Tommy continued, "He will be staying with us from now on."

Dumbledore stood and said, "Now Harry, you know it is not safe for you to --"

"Listen to you, it would seem," Tommy cut him off. He met Dumbledore's eyes and stated, "Harry is under our protection from this day forth. Your so-called protection was lacking and is unnecessary. You have no say in the matter."

"I will not allow this."

Tommy just smirked. "Try to stop me if you like. I would be most interested to see how far you manage to go in figuring out interplanetary or inter-dimensional travel. Once you get that little problem taken care of, you can work on discovering Grid level Power. Then all you'd have left is getting through my team, which is the most respected Rangering team in all recorded history, and my father's Empire, which is the largest, most Powerful, most fear and respected intergalactic government known. -- Until you can manage all of that, Harry is quite safe from your manipulations and he will not be returning to that abusive home you chose for him."

"You owe me a debt --"

Tommy laughed. "No. None of us do. Your lack of comprehension of the treaties you sign does not change the meaning of the words. 'Fiacha a bheith ort coinnioll cunamh' _does_ mean you can call upon any indebted to you that are in any way connected with that treaty. You cannot, however, indebt someone to you by deciding to spend a little money on them. It refers to a _life-debt_. You have to save someone's life for that to occur. So no, you do not get to claim my new brother's life in exchange for buying my people a few trinkets. -- Really you should make sure you understand something before signing a Power binding agreement."

Tommy didn't give him time to react. He led the way back to the tables, they all sat at the Slytherin table again. Harry sat on Tommy's left, Draco on his right, Jason and Rand directly across from them. Trini sat beside Rand, Kat on her other side, Billy beside Draco and Zack beside Jason. A moment later, Severus left the head table and joined them, taking the remaining seat beside Harry. They enjoyed their breakfast in silence, content in each other's company.

"Do you think Dumbledore will give us trouble?" Harry asked after awhile.

"He might try," Tommy said. "If he does, we'll deal with him. Dad's already locating your godfather for us, he'll make sure both Sirius and Remus are safe. You're safe with us so he has no free targets."

"You've made up with your father then?" Billy questioned. "That's good." The others stated their agreement, causing Tommy to smile.

"The PC or even my father's empire are potential threats," Rand commented.

Tommy nodded. "The PC, the Tefonian Empire, their allies, my father's rivals, there's many that might see us as enemies or targets. But that's all in the future. For now though, the wars are over, we have peace, we have each other. We're safe." Tommy met each person's eyes for a moment. "I thought we were shattered when Kimmy died, I didn't think anything could ever even begin to heal that. I was wrong. I love her, I always will, but I also know she loves me. I know she wants us all to be happy in life. So I continued to try for her. -- It was a breaking point. Just instead of breaking us, we broke free."

Tommy stood and held his hand out to Jason. "Family. By Power, by Blood, by Soul. Forever."

Jason stood and took Tommy's hand. The Billy placed his on theirs. Trini followed Billy, then Zack, then Kat. Rand smiled as he placed his atop Kat's hand. Tommy looked to Harry and Harry smiled as he reached over and placed his hand on Rand's. Draco was next, then Severus. Tommy placed his other hand atop Severus's. "Family. Whatever comes."

Severus, Harry, and Draco had their breath taken away as Power flowed throughout them all.

As they released hands, Jason smirked and commented, "I don't know we'll always _win_ in whatever comes."

"But we sure as hell refuse to lose," Tommy finished.

The End -- For now…

Please review, and watch for the sequel.


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